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2017 Issue 2 | THE SCORE
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Business of Beer
Continued from page 21
In the fall of 2016 , B-Dubs locations welcomed Fandom Ale . Brewed as part of Lagunitas Brewing Co .’ s “ Fusion ” series , the beer was a cross between a wheat beer and a pale ale and was quickly a favorite of those frequenting Buffalo Wild Wings locations .
These partnerships tend to work well because the beers are being tested in the market they are created for , and while the beers aren ’ t exclusive to BWW locations , B-Dubs does receive priority for resources and shipments .
Local is Key While Fandom Ale and Game Changer went off without a hitch , many franchise groups note that leveraging local and hyper-local brews can be the ticket to creating a buzz around beer .
“ The trend we are seeing in our area is the call for local- and state-owned brews on tap ,” said Dormer . “ The effect it has on our business is that we must keep on top of all the new regional beers that are available , and we must stay on top of the local beer market to stay on the cutting edge .”
But this is easier said than done for a lot of B-Dubs locations . Due to the size and scale of many craft breweries , distribution can sometimes prove to be a challenge .
“ The biggest challenges are normally distribution of the beer , as we typically have to add a new vendor , and the lack of brand knowledge among the general population at first ,” explained Corde . “ When working with local breweries , be prepared for the brewery to have a limited promotional spend . One must price the beer accordingly to avoid hurting your profit margins , and we ’ ve also found it ’ s better to purchase half barrels versus sixtels to help with per-ounce cost .”
Dormer also notes that sometimes there is a lack of supply since the craft beers are often brewed in smaller batches . These challenges are not had by everyone , however , and Jackie Torsiello , regional training and marketing manager for Antsul Group , says that distribution is where the process often starts for Antsul Group .
“ We have great relationships with our distributers , and they are fantastic at making us aware of local breweries . Our staff loves to push local craft brews because
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they are an interest to our guests ,” said Torsiello . “ There are so many craft beers now that all of the big and small distributing houses have them .”
Torsiello notes that locations often learn of hyper-local brews through distributors and word of mouth , and the process for a local brewer to get a coveted spot on one of the 20 to 30 draught handles isn ’ t really that different from other craft beers or even domestics . What is different , however , is educating servers .
Get in the Know Although partnering up with local brewers presents a different level of ease for each and every operator , they are in agreement that education is crucial to selling craft beer and typically requires extra effort on the restaurants ’ part .
Unlike mega-brewers such as Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors , smaller craft brewers often don ’ t have the resources to dedicate to educating those that serve their beer . While larger companies will typically send out personnel to various BWW locations to educate staff , smaller breweries won ’ t automatically offer to do so , and it is often left to each franchise group to orchestrate these meetups .
Corde says that AMPAL Group leverages the breweries ’ social media pages to stay up to date on news and also let fans know that BWW carries certain beers .
Carolina Wings employees , on the other hand , tend to visit the breweries in person to help boost their education . “ We have visited each local brewery and have formed relationships with the brew masters ,” said Dormer . “ We are also on email lists , and of course , donations of some wings never hurts . A good portion of our managers , bartenders and servers have gone to the breweries and can explain the beers and some of the processes and ingredients used in the brewing .”
Despite any hiccups that may come with carrying local brews , many operators will say it is still well worth it . “ We love to help out local breweries , and as long as they can help us with staff education , we can build good relationships and start selling their products ,” said Torsiello . “ One advantage to carrying local beer is the interest a guest has when they have never seen a certain tap or beer before . It also raises awareness for the area , and to help local companies out goes a long way in hopefully helping them make it in the long run .”
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AMPAL Group and AntSul Group both state that carrying local craft beers starts a discourse with customers and guests occasionally recommend a new beer for the draft line up , and Carolina Wings Management says that it receives suggestions almost daily .
“ This lets us help support our local craft breweries , connect with our local guests and diversifies our draft lineup ,” said Corde . “ Our guests do enjoy seeing their local beers featured on our menus , and we have received guest comments praising our local craft lineup and suggesting other beers by the same brewery to add in the future .”
AntSul Group says that if the suggestions make sense for all parties involved , then it will usually take recommendations to heart and give them a try . “ Guests come to our restaurants for an experience – one of them being the beer experience ,” said Anderson . “ We definitely love their reactions when they see something new .”
Think Outside the Glass Here ’ s Wings , LLC likes to get creative and take the local vibes one step further . In the fall of 2016 , the company immersed itself in the roots of craft beer culture when it agreed to feature the winning suds from the Maryland Microbrewery Festival .
Lee Kexel topped the competition in the festival ’ s home brew contest with his Brewtherville Blonde Bock and subsequently found it on tap at Here ’ s Wings ’ Maryland locations . Operated by the Midnight Homebrewer ’ s League , the competition ’ s winning formula was brewed at DuClaw , a well-known brewery in Maryland , before being distributed to BWW .
The idea of partnering with beer festivals came along with Here ’ s Wings Human Resources Manager Doug Weatherholtz when he joined the company .
“ I had ties to the local homebrew club , people who ran the festival and a local brewery . I had read of some other contest similar to this one in a few brew magazines , but had not seen one like it in this area ,” he said . “ First people try it as a novelty , then they realize it ’ s a legit beer . Of course the homebrew community always comes out and supports the beer , whether they are part of the same brew club or even know the winning brewer .” Weatherholtz added that Here ’ s
Wings will also be carrying this year ’ s
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