Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Longacre
Hi Adam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After returning to Ohio after spending 15 years out west, my wife and I wanted to settle into her hometown and raise our kids. The downtown has really been untouched for the decades prior to us moving back…very stagnant. We wanted to make an impact in the community. Me, being a homebrewer and having a pipedream for years of owning a brewery…..it was a now or never type moment. And that is how it started. We purchased the old bowling alley downtown and repurposed it into UnHitched. And since we opened in 2019, it’s been a nice community hub. We were able to the old bowling alley which so may residents enjoyed of the years (opened in 1948), and create a new space for people to make make new memories in. Birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, sports banquets, you name it we done it. We have even hosted a few full weddings.
And since we’ve opened, I believe 8 businesses have opened downtown (one small city block).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We run a full service restaurant….so no it’s never really smooth 🙂 It’s a tight margin business. and post COVID costs just keep rising and there is only so much you can pass on to the customer.
Plus we opened 4 months before the COVID shutdown. So that was a real struggle right out of the gate. Lots of days crying in the taproom LOL. However, it made us pivot quickly and execute in some areas that I believe helped us. We did “beer runs” to the Cleveland area where people pre-ordered cans of beers and we would deliver house to house. I think that helped possibly spread our name quicker as we were a new brewery.
Like any restaurant or brewery, i think there are struggles on a regular basis. No day is the same. And nothing ever goes as planned…..you need to be quick. Head on a swivel, and be ready to change on a dime to adapt!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At our core, we make beer. Our philosophy is built on a foundation of quality, integrity, and a strong connection to both our community and the land. We focus on brewing rustic, under-manipulated beers.
From day 1, we have only sourced ingredients from Partners who operate within 400 miles of the brewery. 90+% of our malt is grown and processed in Ohio. Our current hop utilization is 100% Ohio hops. We have a major emphasis on knowing where our ingredients are coming from…and who is making that product. This is what we are most proud about. I don’t believe there is any other brewery in Ohio with this philosophy and execution.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Three main things:
1) Knowing your business inside and out. Reviewing financials daily/weekly as one mistake can put you under….especially with the low margins in the industry.
2) Execute hospitality at a high level. People’s behaviors have changed post COVID. But at the end of the day, we are serving people food and beverage. Competition is tough. Hospitality is what will set you apart and hope that a 1st time customer becomes and repeats customer…and then that repeat customer KNOWS when they step into your space, it’s going to be a consistent, memorable experience.
3) Be nimble enough to change on a dime and take calculated risks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unhitched.beer/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhitchedbrew/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unhitchedbrew
