Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Levin.
Hi Sara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My start in my craft beer career started completely by accident. I was trying to get out of a bad relationship in which I had been a stay-at-home mom, and I needed money in order to do that, so I needed to get a job. At the time I was living down in Loveland, Ohio, and Cappy’s, a liquor store/bottle shop on the river in downtown Loveland, was only walking distance away from our house and the apartment I planned on moving into with my two young daughters. So, I went into Cappy’s to see if they were hiring, and coincidentally the owner was someone I had worked for back when I was 21 at a gas station, he had previously owned. He hired me part-time essentially as a cashier/stocker, but we also had craft beer on tap, and although I had never been a beer drinker, I was expected to know about the beers. So, I started trying various beers and learning, and it turned into a super interest for me. I went down the rabbit hole and grew my role at Cappy’s. What started at a cashier gig, ended up as being the social media manager, a buyer, and the person who was responsible for planning events. After a couple years of working there, I met (my now husband) Gus through an industry event. He worked at Ollie’s at the time (another popular craft beer spot at the time). We hit it off immediately and started dating. About a year into dating, we decided we wanted to eventually open our own bottle shop because we knew we could do it well separately, and believed we could do it even better as a team. Not long after we started talking about our dream, an opportunity fell into our laps, and we decided to risk it all and go for it. That opportunity was to buy The Barrel House from its previous owner.
Alright, 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?
Absolutely not. Far from it. When becoming a business owner, you expect it to be difficult, to face lots of challenges. Nothing could have prepared me for how hard it actually is though. In the beginning, I was still working full-time at Cappy’s and commuting between Loveland and Dayton 5 days a week. That was exhausting and short-lived. Then we struggled financially for a couple years because we weren’t yet paying ourselves. At the end of 2019, the business was at its peak, we were profitable and growing rapidly. Then 2020 happened, and everything got turned upside down. For 18 months we stayed open only for carry-out and curbside pickup because we felt that was the responsible way to go. Even with PPP loans, every grant we could get, and our incredibly loyal customers, we were barely breaking even for that entire time. There were so many challenges during that time that were just soul-crushing, especially when it became political and divisive because we have always been outspoken about what we stand for, so we got harassed relentlessly. The whole time it felt like people’s literal lives were at stake depending potentially on the decisions I made, and I didn’t feel equipped to be making those decisions but had to anyway. I’m still mentally recovering from the last few years. Now The Barrel House (2.0) is just over 5 years old, and things are still hard. Inflation seems to have taken a hit on people’s spending, people are cutting out alcohol or switching to spirits. We’re afloat still, but we’re one disaster away from ruin pretty much always.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The Barrel House is a craft beer bar and bottle shop, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a family, it’s an inclusive space, it’s a community-focused club of sorts, it’s a safe space for so many people. We pride ourselves on having one of the best craft beer selections in Dayton, but we also are proud to be a part of our city in a positive way. We try to give back to our city in every way we can. The thing I’m always most proud of though is when I hear people talk about how safe and inclusive TBH is. As a Queer, Jewish woman with Autism and ADHD, that is something that is so inherently important to me. There’s so much hate and awfulness in the world, but if anyone can come in our door and escape that for a bit while enjoying a cozy atmosphere and a great beer, that’s what we’re here for.
Any big plans?
It’s hard at this point to look forward because the last time we did that, the sky began falling and now we’re back to square one. Also, because we’re constantly just treading water. One thing I am looking forward to though is that DORA is supposed to be expanding this year to include us, which would be a game changer for us. With more money coming in we can hopefully get to a point where we can focus on growth again rather than simply survival.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barrelhousetap.com
- Instagram: @Barrelhousetap
- Facebook: @barrelhousetap
- Twitter: @barrelhousetap
