Hey guys, we are thinking and.in the plan ing stages of opening a small bottle shop/bar. Plan on having 12 to 16 taps and seats for about 50 inside also nice outdoor area, and just small finger food.. I have a couple locations picked out on the NC coast and feel it will do well. There's no craft beer bars in the area. What are you guys opinions on profit margins on beer sales. I want to gear it to more a nice craft beer bar, more so than a bottle shop. I know it would be packed in the beach months and slower in the off season. What's some things I should consider? Thanks in advance
Consider the neighborhood. You want neighbors to be able to walk to your shop on a regular basis. That way you don't have to worry about seasons all that much. Call up a few local distributors to get pricing information, then visit local bars to get an idea of the mark-up %. It varies a bit depending on the type of neighborhood you are in. Research, research, research. I'd start by looking up Bottlecraft in SD, Beer Temple in Chicago, The Open Bottle in Chicago, etc.
honestly, make sure the food is done well. I have a few similar bars nearby, but I only go to one of them on a frequent basis because the food is just much better. I also have a few friends that aren't into craft beer all that much, but will still hangout and try a few beers because the wings/appetizers are good. Sorry if that was a bit tangential, but I think it is often overlooked
There are definitely a couple of places that are doing the hybrid bar/bottleshop here in the Triad (Beer Co in Greensboro, Juggheads in Winston-Salem, and The Brewer's Kettle/Kernersville/High Point come to mind) but none are doing food - all have food trucks at their locations pretty regularly though. I think Brewer's Kettle opened a spot in Wilmington recently.
Glassware...and having rotating taps with plenty of kegs in storage..probably a good idea to check with local and out of state distributors to see if you can get deals on multiple 1/6 or 1/4 kegs...and make sure food is good.
If someone financially involved in this project has never worked in both a bottle shop and a bar, I strongly suggest doing so. You need to learn the business from the employee side first.
^^^^ This. There are so many things to know about running a business, dealing with suppliers, employees, inspectors, etc. And have deep pockets, running out of money will sink you faster than you know.
