Class it up too much and you'll eliminate a lot of your potential patrons. Hot Tuna is an institution for a reason. You can vomit on the bar and not expect to be 86'd for more than a couple weeks.
Truth be told, I've done a lot of research on the matter. Based on the state's laws, I've come up with that the best places to open a brewpub are:
Portland is alleged to have more brew pubs per capita than any major city in the US. I've heard the same thing quoted about its strip clubs.
When I moved to Norfolk in 06 I was amazed that they didn't have a local brewery. I'm glad to see that O'Connor stepped up to fill the niche, plus it's great to see that they have a lot of local support.There's a new brewery in Norfolk that has some pretty good brews, and they've been showing up in the local Harris Teeter and Food Lion. I'm partial to their Great Dismal Black IPA.
The guy started as a homebrewer, and shops at the same homebrew store in Norfolk that I do.
My final project for Culinary School involved a business plan for Battle Phrog Brewery in P-Cola. The difference between my plan and the direct competitors (Hopjacks & World of Beers) is the fact that it will be a brew pub, versus a place with a lot of beer. That and the menu (New Southern) is also very different. People would go to World of Beers/Hopjacks/Battle Phrog Brewery for different reasons. Now if a brew pub were to open up (part of the reason I wasn't planning on doing it near McGuires) that would be a different story.
Based on what they told us in Culinary School (and all my instructors were either Certified Executive Chefs, former Chef/Owners, or Restaurateurs) a bar's profit margin is usually 6-8%, a restaurant makes 8-12% and upscale restaurants are making somewhere around 15%.
Dirty hoses will make your beer shit and are difficult to clean if not done regularly. Glass is non-reactive with organic compounds... you do the math.
Truth. Minus the fact that it's easy to clean lines, even if you haven't done it regularly. You just have to do it right.
