January
2003
Trenton
Speaks: What would it take to bring a Brew Pub to Trenton?
By
Jim Carlucci
 |
|
Jim
Carlucci
|
Money.
That's the quickest, easiest and probably truest answer.
Truth
is, Trenton had a brewpub for a very short time. In fact, Trenton
had the third licensed brewpub in the state: the Ship Inn in Milford
and Triumph in Princeton were numbers one and two.
But
back to Trenton. We're the state capital. The seat of Mercer's
County Government. The Entertainment and Cultural center of our
region. Why don't we have a brewpub?
The
answer is not quite as simple as cash (or lack thereof). Or is
it?
Let's
go through the steps of locating and opening a fictional brewpub
and find out.
First
of all, what is a brewpub? Is it a brewery that sells food, or
is it a restaurant that produces its own beer? While there are
many so-called brewpubs around the country that fall into either
category, I have always believed that the best brewpubs were those
that were their own entity. An establishment that recognizes that
quality of food, quality of beverage and quality of service are
the three things that make a successful brewpub.
Locally
produced beer will attract the so-called "beer geeks"
regardless (sometimes almost in spite) of the quality level. A
good dining experience will bring back the diners again and again.
Either may survive, depending upon location (more on that in a
moment) for a while.
But
the truly successful brewpub, in this man's opinion, is one that
concentrates on paying as much attention to designing and executing
the beer and food menus as it does hiring and training its staff.
Customers will be seeking out this brewpub to provide them with
an opportunity they can't get anywhere else. It has been my experience
that the better brewpubs I've visited have offered menus that
skew away from so called "pub food" or take those items
to a higher level than your basic sports bar.
We've
all heard it before, but it is so true that it bears repeating
at least three times. The key to successful business is location,
location, and location. This isn't only about the geographic location
of a brewpub, but the demographic location as well.
Besides
being easy to get to, having ample parking, and safe surroundings,
a brewpub has to be located where there is a good amount of foot
traffic, day and night. Most studies indicate that your craft-beer
consumers are generally better educated, earn more, are in their
thirties and will frequent brewpubs within a 15 mile radius of
their home.
Another
aspect of location to consider is the space allocated to brewing
and storage for ingredients and product. I've been to many and
worked at a few establishments that have scrimped on space allocation
in designing or retrofitting a location for a brewpub. This almost
invariably leads to disgruntled employees, which can result in
less than optimum product and service and less than satisfied
customers.
Government
regulation is another aspect of location that people often overlook
when trying to site a brewpub. Some jurisdictions are just friendlier
towards this type of business than others. As an example, let's
compare Pennsylvania and New Jersey. When Pennsylvania decided
to allow brewpubs to open, the only alcohol they could sell was
the beer they produced on site. While this later changed, it allowed
proprietors to open up with a minimal cost for licensing the establishment.
On
this side of the river though, New Jersey's legislators saw fit
to make it a requirement for brewpubs to also hold a full retail
alcohol consumption license before they could brew a drop. Not
only does this saddle the business with the cost of obtaining
a liquor license (these are issued according to population of
the municipality and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
in some towns), but it makes it almost mandatory that operators
offer a full range of other alcoholic beverages for customers
to drink…thus cutting into the potential sales of the primary
draw…the house-brewed beer.
Pennsylvania,
along with New York and other states, also had fewer restrictions
on wholesaling beer to other outlets. I apprenticed at a brewpub
in Suffern, N.Y., just over the line from Mahwah, N.J., where
we both sold for onsite consumption from taps and bottled and
kegged for distribution. That establishment sold its beer in New
Jersey (it even reached Mercer County), but not one New Jersey
brewpub can sell its beer to a local liquor store or tavern, let
alone to other states. This is one reason why New Jersey, the
most densely populated state in the country, has not come near
to the saturation point for brewpubs (based upon densities in
other, differently regulated, states).
This
may not seem like much of a problem at first glance. However,
brewing is a business that benefits from economies of scale. The
larger the batches of beer produced, the lower the unit cost.
This excess capacity, when distributed to other outlets, increases
the profitability of the operation as well as promotes the brewpub,
thus attracting more customers.
Now,
lets, look at Trenton and see how it fits into the picture.
Trenton,
as the government hub of Mercer County, has a booming daytime
population. Nighttime crowds are subject to events at the Sovereign
Bank Arena, Waterfront Park and the War Memorial/Hotel complex.
Weekends, currently, are rather dead unless there is a special
event occurring at one (or more) of the venues above. But, people
in Mercer County love to dine out. If the food, service, and beer
are good, the prices fair and the establishment clean and attractive,
weekend crowds should be steady, if not huge.
There
are a number of buildings that might be adapted successfully to
house a brewpub. Some of our older industrial buildings are just
about custom made for such a use. I was always partial to the
Cooper Ironworks Building (now Katmandu) as one such location.
And it's younger sibling, Building 4 on Hamilton Avenue across
from the Sovereign Bank Arena, could be fitted out as an excellent
brewpub. Unfortunately, that building is earmarked for a sports
bar.
Anyplace
along the river would be nice…the ground floor of the small
office building just north of Waterfront Park for instance. Good
view, easy access.
Not
the most attractive building in Trenton, but the former Sun Bank
branch on South Broad Street that is adjacent to Mill Hill Park
and across from the new courthouse would be an interesting choice.
There is even enough space on the parcel to setup an outside dining
area. What a great spot to view the First Union Bike Race from.
During the historic reenactments in December, the crowds could
slip inside to warm up and refresh themselves between battles.
Alas, that property is being earmarked for redevelopment and the
building torn down.
So,
will we ever have another brewpub in Trenton?
Probably.
Find an easily accessible location in a high pedestrian traffic
area with a decent amount of parking; place an architecturally
or historically interesting building that can easily accommodate
a fully equipped restaurant kitchen, ample bar and dining room
seating, and have room to house a functioning brewery there; properly
capitalize the project and hire a talented triumvirate of manager,
head chef and head brewer, and the answer becomes an emphatic
"Yes!"
If
you think all of the prime locations are taken or you don't want
to be in the restaurant business there is still hope for fans
of locally produced beer. Trenton would probably support a well-run
craft brewery that could furnish a consistent, quality product
to the many restaurants, bars and taprooms throughout the Mercer
County region.
#
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Jim
Carlucci, "the Itinerant Brewer," has worked for various
brewpubs and craft breweries in the Mid-Atlantic Region. He's
a founding member of the New Jersey Association of Beer Writers.
