Advice for running multiple taprooms

More and more we are seeing breweries consider not plans to be the next big regional or national player, but chart a path that includes expanding their presence into other communities. With this growth, comes the need to maintain the same high level of quality and experience across locations. As a follow up to Tips to Maintain Consistency Across Multiple Taprooms, we will hear from several breweries on the strategies that have been most successful as they grow.

Robert MacEachern, the Chief Operating Officer at Denver Beer Co. who operate 5 locations, believes, “At the core of our brand’s strength lies our incredible team, whose passion drives our success. With an unwavering commitment to upholding our brand values, they craft extraordinary beer and provide exceptional service to our loyal customers. As we expand our taproom experience to include food offerings, we view this as a significant milestone in our evolution. Embracing this pivotal addition opens up new opportunities for growth and enhances the overall experience we provide to our customers, marking a crucial next step in our journey.”

Anthony Drago, Director of Hospitality at Monday Night Brewing locations, also stresses the importance of having a strong understanding of who you are and your goals. 

He states, “Maintaining a consistently high level of service across all six of our taprooms is our top priority. We approach every decision and action with the intention of ensuring that everyone stays on the same page and delivers exceptional service. 

“First and foremost, our brewery has a clear vision and core values that guide us. Providing exceptional service is deeply ingrained in our company culture. It serves as the foundation for all our operations and inspires us to consistently go above and beyond for our customers, regardless of which taproom they visit.”

There’s a common thread between Denver Beer Co, Monday Night Brewing, and now Sanitas Brewing Company.

Michael Memsic, Co-Founder at Sanitas, states: “We lean heavily into core values and long-term goals and we hope that all team members understand where we are going and how we are going to get there. Assuming that this does work for the majority of our team, it allows us to provide a more consistent product and experience as we continue to branch out. We obviously have a ton to learn in the coming months, but we will continue to rely on our tools to create a successful second location.”

Company culture

Successfully creating this company culture starts at the top. You can have a thousand fantastic bartenders and servers, but unless you have strong leadership to help steer the ship, your success will not hit its potential. There is a reason why MacEachern, Drago, and Memsic stress this.

The team can also help operationally guide the vision. Sanitas has one Taproom Manager overseeing both locations, to create a consistent voice and eye for both spaces. At Monday Night, Anthony, as Director of Hospitality, is responsible for the experience and execution of it at each of their taprooms.

Sense of place

While each location may have touches that reflect their local surroundings, consistency follows core values as the next necessity for success across multiple locations. Monday Night believes in the need for consistent education and effective communication.

“To ensure consistency, we invest in comprehensive training programs for all our staff members across all taprooms,” Drago says. “We train our team in the technical aspects of serving beer and crucial customer service skills. This includes effective communication, problem-solving, and a positive and welcoming atmosphere. By establishing standardized procedures and best practices, we ensure that everyone is aligned in delivering the same high standard of service.”

Memsic at Sanitas agrees and places “a ton effort and planning into how we will keep our process and offerings as consistent as possible in both spaces.” 

Communication is key

To create this high quality of consistent experience, there must be strong communication across the organization. Drago asserts, “Communication plays a vital role in maintaining consistency. We foster a culture of open communication and encourage regular feedback from staff members at all levels. This enables us to identify areas for improvement and address them proactively. We hold regular staff meetings within each taproom and facilitate cross-taproom communication to share insights and reinforce our commitment to consistent service standards.”

In addition to their regular meetings, Monday Night holds meetings between departments on a regular basis. “By fostering collaboration and collective problem-solving, we ensure that our high level of service is consistently upheld across all taprooms,” Drago says.

The meetings at Monday Night culminate with their All Hands, company-wide events, that bring the entire team together, to celebrate achievements, communicate updates, and foster a sense of unity and shared purpose.

Having a shared vision is vital. Sanitas have run their business on the EOS (Entrepreneurs Operating System) platform since 2017 and utilize many of the tools to help their brewery deal with the day-to-day business, while always keeping an eye on the future.

“We have had a lot of success working within this structure to keep the whole team rowing in the same direction,” Memsic says. “From big vision, core values and a weekly scorecard, we use these tools throughout our company to make sure everyone knows their role and how it impacts the rest of the team.”

By focusing on adherence to core values, consistency of information, and strong communication, Denver Beer Co., Monday Night, and Sanitas have expanded their vision across multiple locations. As you continue to grow, it is vital to have a firm understanding of the direction you plan to head, a united team to execute the vision, and systems in place to monitor, maximize, and maintain your progress. 

Andrew Coplon is the Founder of Secret Hopper, a mystery shopping company for craft beer businesses, and Craft Beer Professionals, a community dedicated to the growth and betterment of the craft beer industry. Check out all of his CBB articles here.