Brewery boom. Community over competition in the growing Stark County brewery scene

Ohio reached a milestone with 400 licensed breweries in May.

Now, 72 of Ohio’s 88 counties have at least one brewery.

And many more are on the way.

"We know of at least 75 breweries in planning right now," said Justin Hemminger, deputy director at Ohio Craft Brewers Association. "Depending on their stage of development, it’s reasonable to assume that many of those will open to the public over the next few years.”

With 40% of the openings taking place in the past three years, one might question if the market is saturated and if there's room for more growth in the Buckeye State.

But there's another question to ask.

The majority of craft breweries sell their beer in taprooms, serving as cultural hubs and community gathering spaces, leading one to wonder if this is just the beginning of a big boom.

Status of Ohio’s brew scene now and where it started

According to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, Ohioans of legal drinking age consume about 4.6 gallons of craft beer each year, ranking Ohio 13th in the country. Even though it’s an above average consumption rate, Ohio ranks 24th in breweries per capita, suggesting there’s room for growth.

With COVID halting gathering at breweries for quite some time in its early days, and its effects on the supply chain and workforce in recent months, there’s a question of its impact on the future of breweries.

"Variables like that make it hard to predict what new brewery opening numbers will look like in the near term," Hemminger said.

Growth in the industry hasn’t always been this fast. Before 2013, extra permits were required for breweries to sell a glass of beer directly to a consumer. In 2013, Ohio created the A-1C brewery permit, allowing smaller breweries to operate a taproom on their premises.

"The A-1C permit also allowed small breweries to self-distribute their beer to retail accounts, which helped them build up their brands in the market in a cost-effective way," said Hemminger. "Those changes in the way small breweries could sell and serve their beer were crucial, as evidenced by the fact that there were only about 60 breweries in Ohio when the A-1C permit was created and there are now more than 400."

Economic impact of breweries for Ohio

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association worked with Silverlode Consulting to estimate the economic impact of Ohio’s craft breweries on the state. Whether or not there’s competition among breweries, one thing is clear: They help the economy.

"In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio’s craft brewing industry generated an estimated $880.7 million of economic activity in the state," according to OCBA.

The data collected by Silverlode Consulting showed that Ohio’s breweries brought in $99.8 million in state and local taxes and $59 million in federal taxes in 2019, the last year for which data was available. Ohio breweries provided 8,295 jobs and supported 5,577 households in 2019. Labor income from Ohio breweries totaled $253.1 million in 2019.

According to the Brewers Association, Ohio is home to two of the nation’s largest craft brewing companies: Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland and Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati.

Two new breweries to open in Stark County

The Stark County brew scene is about to get even bigger with two new breweries opening soon.

New Berlin Brewing Company is set to open this summer in North Canton at 1664 N. Main St. And Starflyer Brewing Co. is planning to open in downtown Canton as early as the beginning of 2023.

Starflyer’s co-founder and head brewer Andrew Archer started homebrewing almost a decade ago. He wanted to gain professional experience in the industry before opening a place with co-founder Bailey Archer, his wife who will serve as the manager, and Ethan Comfort, Bailey Archer’s brother, who will serve as the chief financial officer.

"After five years in the industry, we were presented with an opportunity to establish Starflyer Brewing Co. here in Canton, so we're doing everything we can to turn our dream into a reality," Andrew Archer said.

With a lot of breweries already established in Stark County, it’s important for each brewery to have its own feel.

"We're designing our taproom to be decidedly more colorful than most, with an emphasis on bright colors and local artwork," Andrew Archer said. "Our planned menu will include a wide variety of traditional and experimental beers, several other beverage options (alcoholic and non), and New York-style pizza. We're also partnering with another downtown business to make our taproom part of a new food hall-type experience for our guests."

He said so far things have felt less like a competition and more of a community-driven experience.

"Many local brewers and brewery owners have reached out to offer support and encouragement for our new endeavor," said Andrew Archer. "Having been a part of the Akron brewery scene through past work, we're looking forward to helping Canton's beer community grow as we become part of a fun and welcoming group."

New Berlin owner Mike Leckie-Ewing also sees room for growth in the beer industry locally.

New Stark County brewery: New Berlin Brewing in North Canton to specialize in German food, local history

"I honestly think that we are currently under-served in our local scene. … There's room for growth," he said in an email.

The plan was to open in July, but supply-chain issues have caused delays, pushing the opening to the end of August.

His reason for opening a brewery now? He likes the sense of community that breweries bring.

"I like what small breweries and brewpubs mean to their community. It's a gathering place and somewhere that the community can call its own," said Leckie-Ewing.

New Berlin will have its own feel, offering a menu different from other local breweries. The menu will include modern German fare, traditional German beer styles and "flavors that are not yet found in our area, but, I think, will really find quick acceptance," Leckie-Ewing said.

Established breweries share their thoughts on new ones opening in Stark County

In the last decade, Stark County and surrounding counties have seen an influx of breweries opening. From breweries popping up in Canton, Louisville, Minerva, North Canton, Jackson Township, Minerva, Massillon, Navarre, Dover and Bolivar, the area isn’t short on craft beer.

Many of these breweries already have an established fan base. Anytime a similar business opens nearby, it can be seen as competition. Many Stark County breweries don’t see it that way.

"We get excited when we hear about more breweries opening around us. It’s exciting to think of future collaborations, as well as getting more people introduced and excited about locally crafted beer," Sandy Springs Brewing Co. owners Andy and Amanda Conrad said in an email.

Sandy Springs opened in Minerva in November 2017. In the almost five years since, the brewery has grown to include outdoor cabanas and an Airbnb located next to the taproom.

Minerva brewery: Sandy Springs Brewing is fun and easy road trip

The Conrads feel that Northeast Ohio offers some of the best craft beer in the country and the brewery scene is full of collaboration among brewers.

"There is always going to be a little competition with any business, but we truly feel the brewery scene is community-driven and a collaborative environment. We have made some of our best, lifelong friends within our local craft beer industry," they said.

Adam Longacre, owner of UnHitched Brewing Co. in Louisville, agrees that brewers in the area are all about helping one another.

"… Because breweries are a niche market, we are inherently closer. There are nuances in our business that is unique to food and beverage. You see more collaboration, help and support because of that. And we all want each other to succeed …," he said.

UnHitched has a shorter history than Sandy Springs, opening in late 2019 just before COVID started. But that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a hotspot for locals who love beer.

Louisville brewery to offer lunch: Stark Bites: UnHitched Brewing to offer lunch; Stark Flavor Coffee Crawl through Aug. 1

Longacre had plans for a brewery in Louisville for a long time, about 15 years in the making. He had been homebrewing since his college days and made lots of business plans during his travels. When he and his wife moved back to her hometown is when things started to take shape.

"For a long time, it was, 'Hey let's start a brewery, it will be cool.' That was me in my mid-20s. When it finally came about at the age of 40, it became, 'Hey, how can we breathe some life into our downtown? How can we invest into our city and provide a gathering place for people? How do we create a locally sourced product that will in turn support other local businesses?' So I’m glad it took me 15 years to figure out what I really wanted out of this venture," Longacre said.

It seems to have worked. UnHitched has grown since opening, adding outdoor seating on Mill Street during the summer and recently expanding to add lunch service in the former Palmer Market space on Main Street.

Even with all of the new breweries opening, more established ones see it as a good thing. Each brewery in the area has its own vibe, and there’s room for all of them.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Growing Stark County brewery scene values community over competition