craft beer scene. Educating themselves about the different varieties, asking questions about how best to partner with vendors and network their way to stand toe-to-toe with household brands at festivals and on store shelves. “You don’t go to Disney land for just one ride; you go for the entire experience and everything they have to offer,” Richard said. “It’s like what craft is like.” “You don’t go to Disney land for just one ride; you go for the entire experience and everything they have to offer,” Next steps in this fast-paced world of craft beer, Richard looks to make S.Y.C. a more relatable and recognizable brand outside the local market. He pushes by constantly staying ahead of the trend and trying to figure out what the market is craving next. It’s been one year and a constant education, he admits. Always focusing on what’s ahead. “This taste over that taste, this can over that can; sustainability within our own business today and tomorrow,” he said. “You don’t want to be in business if you’re not constantly looking into tomorrow.”
craft beer – the craftsmanship – it’s an art.”
Like any form of art, people will objectively pick and choose what they like. When asked who Richard considers his typical customer, he knows there is no set guideline or strict club that turn to craft beer as their ride-or-die drink of choice. He humbly recognizes that, “We’re not for everyone, but we open the door to say that we have elements that everyone can have an appreciation for,” he says. “And for people who have already walked through the door and want to try new things, how do we keep them excited?” Alberta as a whole has bucked up against some political walls when it comes to beer in general; a hurdle that rather than jump over, Richard and the ever-growing and mutually supportive craft beer community, have adapted to working with. It’s about making a name for themselves through their own channels in a “collaborative environment” always focused on getting more people into the
“You don’t want to be in business if you’re not constantly looking into tomorrow.”
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2020
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