Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Casey.
Tom, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Boston Homebrew Supply opened in April 2014 and I have been the owner since the summer of 2015. Three of my close friends and I had been brewing together for a few years before this shop opened and always got our ingredients from random, faraway places. When Boston Homebrew Supply opened in our neighborhood I think we were even more excited than the original owner himself to have such an awesome resource for supplies and advice, so we immediately wanted to build a community around it. We started the homebrew club, Bräukline, that has met here once a month ever since and has grown along with the shop. I was working at a brewery when the original owner wanted to move on and I was in the perfect place to take over the business that I already loved so much. I had zero business experience and hardly any retail experience when I took over so I’ve learned a lot since then, and have always focused on maintaining the high standards for customer experience that Boston Homebrew Supply has had since it opened.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would be suspicious of any business owner who claims its smooth sailing all the time. I’ve certainly had my ups and downs, but I’m also very fortunate to have a built-in support system of customers, many of whom I consider friends. The personal and repeat-visit nature of this business really allows me to build relationships with people who want me succeed because they love coming here. That said, one of the things I’ve struggled with is having a customer on the opposite end of the spectrum, who I may not be able to please no matter what or who may not have respect for the shop and what I’m doing. Not taking those kinds of interactions personally when this shop is such a huge part of my life can definitely be a challenge, but something I’ve gotten much better at over time.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Boston Homebrew Supply – what should we know?
Boston Homebrew Supply is a retail store selling all the ingredients, equipment and supplies to brew your own beer at home. We also have supplies for making other fermented beverages such as wine but are definitely beer-focused due to space. We are known for our clean, well-organized, and welcoming environment as well as top customer service and advice in an industry that is stereotyped by dust-caked, cluttered shelves and a guy behind the counter as arrogant as Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons.
Homebrewing has come from a niche and underground hobby into the mainstream over the last 10 years or so, and with that the demographics of homebrewers and homebrew supply stores have changed a lot as well. In the old days your local homebrew store might have been in a lady’s barn next to her house on a windy country road, like my first one was. Now they are just a normal part of anyone’s weekly shopping trip. We try to be the best place for this modern, urban homebrewer to pick up supplies and connect with the greater community.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Personability.
Pricing:
- All the equipment to get started brewing plus your first batch of ingredients to brew 5 gallons ~$175
Contact Info:
- Address: 1378B Beacon St. Brookline, MA 02446
- Website: bostonhomebrewsupply.com
- Phone: (617) 879-9550
- Email: info@bostonhomebrewsupply.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bostonhomebrewsupply/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Boston-Homebrew-Supply-299118983536059/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/boston_homebrew?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/boston-homebrew-supply-brookline
Image Credit:
Krista Casey, Rachel Higgins
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