![]() ![]() “We’re starting out with lower-ABV beers so that we don’t scare away drinkers who aren’t familiar with craft beer,” says Jacob, “We want to showcase as much variety as possible so that there aren’t drinkers who feel left out – we want to make the brewpub as accessible as possible, as having just one or two styles would limit our customer base”. The huge Barking Armadillo space in West Georgetown was chosen by Jacob and Brian because it not only gave them substantially more square-footage for their buck, it also offered them the chance to serve an untapped local craft beer market. As brewery taprooms continue to proliferate, the luxury of walking or cycling to your local drinking-hole is no longer limited to city-dwellers. Queues for entry and positive reviews established their reputation quickly enough to encourage a consistent to-go consumer base because adds Brian “People want us to be around when this is over”.Īnyone who has ever lived somewhere without a local pub or brewery will know exactly what he means. Although they had originally planned a slow segue into takeaway beer, they were able to accelerate rapidly, with an order for 600 growlers and canning equipment en route, in order to capitalize on the big local response to their two opening weekends. Since Barking Armadillo has closed for drink-in, they have moved to adapt swiftly and efficiently to serve beer-to-go to the local community. Jacob comments that “Lots of people don’t want to travel into the city right now – it’s better for them to have somewhere local that they can access easily. ![]() Their tagline ‘Your friendly neighborhood brewpub’ perfectly captures the vision that childhood friends Brian and Jacob have for their brewery, and the current climate may have closed some doors but it has opened others. ![]() This ethos is not COVID-19-specific – Barking Armadillo was always destined to be somewhere that served the community. “The community has really helped keep us afloat” says Brian “There’s nowhere like this to drink on our side of the I-35 and we want to be a local hangout, a community brewpub”. Pictured Jacob Trimm and Brian Cantu Feature post by Ruvani De Silva Most of us have been put out, inconvenienced and financially disadvantaged by Covid-19, but when you’ve put years of planning, preparation, love, and investment into building your very own brewery taproom, only to have it closed down just two weeks after your launch party, that’s got to be a huge kick in the head, right? Well yes, but for Barking Armadillo’s Jacob Trimm and Brian Cantu, they are not only weathering what has been a catastrophic storm for many small businesses, but they have also been able to rely on the support and encouragement from a local community delighted to have its very own craft brewery for the first time. ![]()
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