We drove by the Sash Mill and the Swift Street Courtyard. They are ideal places. The Swift Street Courtyard definitely gets more foot traffic right now but it looks like it is full. There seems to be an empty warehouse space in the Sash Mill facing Highway 1. I am pretty sure that Chad could imagine himself in there. I know I could. That seems like one of the best places to start. Getting a location. While not as important as deciding the location of a restaurant or retail store, the criteria for making those kind of decisions is relevant here as well. There is Seabright Brewery that is currently the only place in Santa Cruz City that brews beer. The location is also a restaurant and they just recently started distributing their beer in kegs and bottles, locally. They are near to the beach (about 4 blocks) and have a large outside patio. From the constant flow of business at Seabright, it seems like they have the perfect mix of location, food, and offerings for that area.

Front Street Pub closed awhile ago and while someone tried to breathe a few breaths of life into it in the past few years, no one has been successful. Their website shows some signs of reopening in the near future but that remains to be seen. I am not sure what is responsible for their closing, but I doubt that it was location and perhaps management. The many times that I went there, business was great and they had developed a pretty strong following for their beer. Their brewing system is still there and it was designed and installed for somewhat large scale brewing. It would be interesting to interview people that were involved there and to go and check out the system, if that is possible.

Boulder Creek Brewing Company was a rockin’ place about 10 years ago. Maybe less. I have been there on occasions when it was so crowded the floor boards were bending with the weight of the crowds.
I don’t know anyone that goes there anymore. I drive by it each time I take my son to preschool and slow by the window to peek in. Their brewing equipment is still turning so something must be coming out of there. From their website it looks like it does a good business, and yet I haven’t heard of anyone I know going in there for food or beer.

Word of mouth in this county is as good as advertising. Grassroots, basement beginnings seem to have a lot more respect in this county than in any other place I have lived. Look at some of the businesses that have come out of here – started in someone’s garage… Odwalla, Kali Ray Tri Yoga, Rebecca’s Mighty Muffins, Pacific Cookie Company, SCO and many more. Locals are loyal to locals, that's for sure. So Boulder Creek Brewing Company is on our list of places to check out.

Why am I looking at the competition, so to speak? Well, I don’t really consider it competition as much as I consider it an indicator about the market and the demand. It seems logical that if there if there is a single success in the market there is probably room for more. And as long as the market isn’t saturated, the more similar businesses the better. It seems to signify that the market is strong. I am not a business person, but I do know that there are a lot peculiarities to creating a successful business. One thing is certain. There is a demand for Organic Micro Brew in Santa Cruz, as long as the price is competitive. And as for food – well we are going to try and stay out of the market for now. :)