Four Firkins

frustrated by this.. i like 4 firkens but i already Tithe to them with their omnipresent 10% percent mark up across the board on most brews they sell .. yes the beer is fresh its a cool store but if you FF do not have the money for the down payment for expansion then dont expand to the chain of 5 stores that you covet and ask us to help you .. WOW

 

$1000 for a dinner with a beer store owner

WOW

Sounds like a swell deal

The whole thing is laughable

 

I think any business looking for a cash infusion for whatever legitimate reasons would be crazy not to consider something like Kickstarter. Why would anyone see this as a negative thing?

 

Guys, we now know Alvey's consulting fee per hour. A mere grand per hour!

But, don't ask for help within his area of expertise, he will consult you on anything other than running a beer store.

 

As a business, sure why not, it's basically free capital. From the outside it just looks like they are panhandling.

 

On their part it makes a fair amount of sense. It's free money. Not arguing that. I view it poorly as a consumer as they are asking for free money to run and expand their business.

 

the joke is on us (haters). They went from 2200 to $8400 in the last 4 hours. I think they'll hit their goal...

afterthought: 5 people have paid $1000 for a lifetime of twice yearly rare beer reservation with a max of 20. Depending on how many bottles they have access to, that could put a hamper on the remaining supply methinks. (mostly for things with less than a few cases per store, but still, thats what we nerds chase, and its becoming more common as the rare releases are spread thinner)

 

No hating. I am amazed at how willing people are to give away money. I guess business is finally catching onto what religious outfits have been doing for years.

 

Most companies that need to raise revenue sell equity...

aka they go public...

 

Yes, but when you invest you receive an amount of transferable ownership as compensation for your capital infusion.

 

If only pour decisions had gone the kickstarter route.

 

I thought precisely this when I read their "plea".

Y'all are being nice but I'll say it: fucking ridiculous. Of course the Four Firkins may do as they please, but if they start "holding" their "special releases" for their buddies who throw a bunch of money at them, I won't bother to stop there anymore & pay the premium for whatever I walk out with. There are simply too many good liquor stores around nowadays for me to give my money to a place that's going to give special preference to people with money.

 

This. It may get them the capital they need (want?) but it definitely leaves a sour taste in my mouth. In a bad way. I guess that metaphor doesn't work as well on a beer site...

 

I feel compelled to weigh in, as my wife's new (open for 8 months) baby store just finished a successful (seeking a paltry $5000 in comparison) kickstarter campaign. So, I'll try to be as transparent as possible, whilst reserving the right to pass judgment. Here are the differences I see: our kickstarter was to renovate the basement and turn it into a FREE, community-accessible baby and toddler room, offering FREE music, yoga, parenting, and art classes, as well as a FREE weekly play date for babies and families to come hang and play with a ton of cool stuff in a no-stress, supportive environment. Many of these things were already taking place and were very successful. In addition, the room would be available to anyone with a certain expertise to hold classes of their own; again, at no charge to them. The only way we would ask the community for money was if it was going to be used in a way that would directly benefit the community.

As far as the rewards go...these programs typically don't allow you to offer discounts or anything from your store that has a retail value as incentives, so it can be tricky to come up with good ones. However, the FF rewards cost the store NOTHING. Those "rare beers" people are shelling out a grand for will sell in minutes whether they're being held for someone or not. And they certainly aren't $1000 rare...I pity the person who will ask to have Darkness reserved. The rewards we offered were tangible and actually cost us $$, so the contributors aren't just walking away with a promise or a one-man seminar.

Hopefully I don't sound hypocritical...

 

It does if one is referring to Abyssident or any of the past three years' Peruvian Morning!

 

Not hypocritical at all! Your wife's campaign is EXACTLY the type of thing Kickstarter (and others like it) are supposed to be for, IMHO. There is a true benefit to all who donate (and even those who don't). Granted, the improvements on the basement will likely yield more business, but that is not all that will come out of it.

The second location of FF will help the beer community, somewhat, in that it will provide another outlet. However, it will (at the same time) take business from other stores in the area (Haskell's, Top Ten, Dennis Brothers, The Cellars, etc). Woodbury is not an area that anyone would liken to a beer purgatory, another store is nowhere near necessary.

 

I would be more excited to support this if I experienced better customer service. Every time I am there I get more and more frustrated about how I am treated. The reward piece is less important- I am almost always up for supporting a good cause. Supporting a highly successful business that treats me terrible isn't one of those.

 

Yeah, but it ain't free money. Cheap money I guess lol.

 

$1,000 for someone to get to the front of the line to get rare beer twice a year? In this market, would that CBS (if it comes out), KBS, Black Note, BCBS and maybe Cantillon when we get that back? What else is rare or limited that I would want twice a year?

If I spent that money, I better be getting more than a 4 pack of most of that. If it is a bottle, this is the biggest money grab ever. And in turn, pissing people off as well.

 

Love the Firkins and all they have done and are doing for the MN craft beer community - but I have to agree with many of the sentiments above. They're obviously doing pretty well, but want us to help fund their accelerated growth strategy. I'm all for helping startups that have no funding, but FF does not fit that criteria.