Bad Breweries/Brewpubs Remain Open

I've been a LONG time lurker on BeerAdvocate, but this post is what tipped the scales and brought me out of hiding.

First off, I love Stone for a whole ton of reasons. I've been in the restaurant industry for a long time now and completely appreciate everything that they've done for the beer community. I've served Stone product and product they distribute in locations I've run before, will absolutely continue to carry them in the location I'm currently starting up, and will setup any restaurant that I'm a GM of in the future.

I've been successful and not so successful in my career in the restaurant business and have a whole laundry list of things that will make or break your concept. This might be a harsh observation, but take my word for it BA's, even with a low overhead concept, business from the Beer Advocate type crowd will not keep your restaurant open all on it's own. You need support from all types of customers... regulars, locals, folks who love your product, tourists, randoms, beer lovers, beer haters, designated drivers, people who don't love your product but come back for the atmosphere or location. It takes a village to keep a restaurant open and successful, and it's incredibly difficult. As much as any one particular group thinks they may be keeping your business afloat, they're probably wrong. They are however certainly helping in keeping you operational and should be appreciated as such!

However, the irony of using an article written by anyone associated with the Linkery about why the restaurant business sucks was too good not to comment on. For multiple reasons; including service, food quality, and over all attitude of the FOH staff the Linkery is one of the few places that made me physically angry every time I ate there. I HATED that place, and is literally the only restaurant that I've ever been happy to see go under. The article might be the most accurate and beautifully written piece of writing in history, but given that the source of the article managed to build and manage the most infuriating restaurant in San Diego County just kills it for me!

 

The worst experience I have had at a brew pub was at Boscos in Little Rock AR. They had several varieties of beer and offered a sampler. All of their brews were watery and tasteless, with the exception of their seasonal beer that I think I recall was a white IPA. I also remember during a Colorado trip in 2010 going to Tommy Knocker Brewing and having their sampler. At the time, their Black IPA was seasonal. The Black IPA was the only beer on their sampler that I enjoyed...all else was not satisfactory. Thankfully I have had good luck in that, overall, the majority of my brewery experiences have been pretty good.

 

LOL I remember that place in Little Rock. Perfect example.

 

I agree if you aren't willing to name names you opinion carries little weight.
I enjoy beers from Cricket Hill and would drink them more often if I could find them cold. East Coast is exactly what it's intended to be a better Bud. Nothing wrong with that.

 

I'd guess that even though a brewpub makes beer by definition, many in the general populace would see it primarily as a place to get a meal.

 

So living in Grand Rapids I have a ton of options for amazing beer. There are a few places I will not go back to:

osgood brewery- beer tastes like metal and food is as douchy as it comes.
The hideout: not a great part of town and the odd favors of beer that they make does not work for me.
Pike 51: in my eyes the "other" brewery in Hudsonville. Beer is not that approachable.

These 3 imo are the worst that a good beer town has to offer

 

We all have our right to our opinions, but in this case I'll humbly disagree with your assessment. Not a strongly disagree, but I think you used words that are too extreme. In fact, in Hudsonville, I'd put Pike 51's beers ahead of the other "other" brewery in town. I just don't think your words agree with, let's say an average 3 rating for each of these places. The beer at each place is at least okay (I never experienced a metallic taste in the beer at Osgood), thus at least a 3 rating in my opinion. (Point - Counterpoint.)

 

I can see your point, i disagree but can understand. I think my title of other brewery for pike is due to my love for white flame. Their beer to me is just better. It isnt in your face like i think pike is and if i cant get super fresh huma my go to mi ipa is super g. It is just awesome. Osgood, id love to love them due to how close it is to my house but the 3 times i have been there was under impressed.

 

New South Brewery, Myrtle Beach SC. A pretty blah line up, ratings OK to Good - at best. They seem to be making it but I don't know how or why. I don't know anyone who drinks it; it must be the tourists.

 

The beer there was't bad, just pretty standard stuff. There is another place I have been to in LR that had beers with off flavors/technical flaws. there is a difference between bad and beers that one does not like.

 

Definitely. Heatland in NYC was mentioned earlier in the thread, but unless things have changed their beers are just the average drinkable ho-hum stuff, not bad. The secret to their success seems to be 'location, location, location'.

 

Nebbie and or Mrs Nebbie, not a big fan of the Hofbrauhaus chain, well below average beers and food fresh from the deep freeze, a tourist destination for people who refuse to travel

 

I haven't read through this thread properly, so excuse me if this has already been mentioned...

Every year around the holidays I go home to my parents' house in Colorado, and every year I am confounded by how Lone Tree Brewing manages to profit. Not only is the beer consistently subpar, but their tasting room is impossible to chance across; all they have is a tiny sign. How do these people stay in business?