Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Looks like there is finally some news about CR's next brewery.

http://blog.thequarterbarrel.com/

Awesome, heard some rumors, glad to see something official. Can't wait for this place to open.

Is this a brewery? I thought it was an arcade.

Looks like both.

Awesome. Hope the market can handle all these breweries popping up is my only worry.

Hi guys,

The Quarter Barrel is my doing. I wasn't able to make it down to the Beer Nuts meeting this evening---my attendance is generally intermittent at best---but if you have any questions about the business, ask away.

Yes, we're going to be both a classic arcade and a brewery. Can the market handle another? Sure hope so. Cedar Rapids has over 100 bars. Three that produce their own product shouldn't sink the ship. Hell, if Cedar Rapids could support 3 strip clubs, I'd certainly hope it could support as many brewpubs.

I'd love to share ideas and get your input, so seriously, fire me some questions.

-Chris

Sweet I will fire away what are the possible locations or is there one already?

Wait, you're going to have a strip club too? I wish.

We've got a building. Just closed Tuesday on 616 2nd Ave SE. The building has been a string of bars since about 1996. It's a bit tacky inside, so I'm gutting the place.

No poles for dancers. Maybe some cages though I've never heard of a brewpub/stripclub. I feel like there must be some obscure liquor law that'd get in the way of that. It'd be a novel concept though. Perhaps a fine craft beer menu could bring out the gentleman in gentleman's club.

Just don't hire the girls from Dancers Ranch

Well, arcade and brewpub is pretty unique in it's own right. I think you are right, it's not really about whether you can compete with other brew pubs in town, but more about competing with the plentiful bars. You have to stand out, and offer something that keeps customers coming back. CR is pretty fickle. Bars and restaurants turn over pretty regularly because they often don't maintain an audience once the new factor wears off.

In Denver's arts district there are brewpubs and micro's on almost every block, with more opening. There's currently over 100 new breweries in Colorado set to open this year, adding to the close to 200 in existence now. I know we're not exactly Colorado, but you have to think there's more room left in the market.

I'm excited for this. Will I be able to bring my 11 and 13 year old there to play games? Are you going to have any food?

How many taps do you plan to have on the bar?

What styles of beers do you think you'll be brewing, at least initially?

Will you have "guest taps?"

I'm excited for this. Will I be able to bring my 11 and 13 year old there to play games? Are you going to have any food?

Yes and Yes. I am planning to keep this venue relatively family friendly---at least during day and evening hours. After 9 or 10pm children will be a bit out of place. We will have food. I have not yet settled on the direction or extent of the menu. If anybody knows an experienced chef/kitchen manager, I'm going to start looking soon.

How many taps do you plan to have on the bar?/Will you have "guest taps?"

Currently planning on 12 taps split pretty evenly between house beers and guest beers. I may have more taps if I find a good deal on a larger behind-bar walk-in cooler than what I've been looking at.

What styles of beers do you think you'll be brewing, at least initially?

Depending on how much time I have between getting my equipment installed and our planned opening date, I would like to open with a few lagers on tap---It'd be a shame to open during Oktoberfest and not have an Oktoberfest lager ready to go. Unfortunately, given the lead times most of the equipment suppliers I've been looking at have to offer, that's a bit of a pipe dream. I don't have an exact line-up in mind yet, but expect a pretty broad spectrum.

Are the games going to be free to play for paying patrons or are they going to be quarter play?