Northwest Beerwerks marks a year of flowing taps
How do you measure success? For the owners of Northwest Beerwerks, a relatively new taproom in Olympia, they could point to the one-year anniversary of the business.
They celebrated with live music and several kegs of beer, and attracted about 400 people to the single-family residence, which is zoned for commercial activity, at 420 Steele St. SE.
For those trying to orient themselves, the cross street is Pacific Avenue. It was the former home for The Tea Lady, which closed in 2014.
Before co-owners Ton Johnson and Tommy Russell-Tutty opened the business, they first had to meet each other, Johnson recalled, saying their wives urged them to get together. Being guys, he said, they dragged their feet on meeting. But once they did, they hit it off, discovering they were “huge craft beer fans,” Johnson said.
Before Northwest Beerwerks opened in March 2015, Johnson and Russell-Tutty spent months on the business, including renovations to the space. Johnson calls it the “anti-bar” because it doesn’t feel like one. You can sit at the bar, on the couch or at a table, or you can sit outside on the lawn, which overlooks the immediate neighborhood. The vacant lot across the street is being leased for additional parking, Johnson said.
“It’s like going to somebody’s house and having a party,” Johnson said.
You won’t find any domestic beer at Northwest Beerwerks, but what you will find is 24 craft beers on tap, as well as 300 different bottles of craft beer. All of them are regularly rotated, said manager Matt Smith.
The business also has created two customer mug clubs. For the Red Mug club, the business charges $65 a year in return for a variety of discounts. Eighty-five customers have signed up for the club, with plans to add another 45, Johnson and Smith said. Another club, called the Blue Founders Mug, charged $500 to generate operating capital for the business. Seventeen people invested in the business and they plan to open it up to another 17.
Founding member benefits include happy hour prices at all times.
“People want to be regulars,” Johnson said. “It’s all about the experience.”
Northwest Beerwerks doesn’t serve food, but a food truck is parked right outside, largely for dinner service.
The business is Boka Island Fusion, operated by Patrick Laguana and Lorenzo Camacho, who are from Guam. They serve a combination of Hawaiian, Filipino and Guamanian food, such as Hawaiian Mochiko chicken over a bed of rice, or a Boka taco plate: marinated chicken, red cabbage, cilantro and onions, topped with an avocado lime sauce and served on corn tortillas.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403, @rolf_boone
Northwest Beerwerks
Owners: Ton Johnson, Tommy Russell-Tutty
Location: 420 Steele St. SE, Olympia
Type of business: Taproom, selling craft beer on tap and in bottles
Years in business: Beerwerks celebrated its one-year anniversary in March.
Employees: Six, including manager, Matt Smith
Online: northwestbeerwerks.com
Hours: 2-10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 2-11 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Did you know? On the first and third Wednesdays of the month, Northwest Beerwerks has a “tap takeover,” during which a craft beer is highlighted by the business. O-Town Brewing of Olympia is set for April 20.
This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Northwest Beerwerks marks a year of flowing taps."