Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Whitney Way, owner of City Star Brewing, located in Berthoud, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
City Star Brewing is a taproom-oriented, community-focused brewery and taproom in downtown Berthoud, Colorado. As a great local gathering spot, we attract customers within walking distance as well as folks from throughout Northern Colorado. Everyone is welcome, and we have the opportunity to serve different people every day: friends looking to catch up over a pint, craft beer enthusiasts, families with babies and dogs, travelers, hikers who've earned a beer after reaching their summit, and plenty of people who come for the live music, food trucks and special events we regularly offer.
Tell us about yourself
As co-owner and general manager of a small business, I am a "Jill of All Trades." I have my hand in managing the taproom and brewery in addition to accounting, marketing, human resources, and plain ol' maintenance. I am fortunate to have a great team that supports me in all of these roles. They enable my partner and husband, John Way, and I to focus on all these items at a higher level.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I continually look ahead and rarely take time to reflect on accomplishments. I always assume our biggest accomplishments are surely yet to come. Running a successful business for a decade while retaining a great staff is an accomplishment I'm very proud of.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As we come upon ten years in business, it's interesting to reflect on what we've learned. It's been hard (and rewarding in ways) to be flexible and determine how best to adapt our business. Over the years, we've needed to reflect and pivot through staff and personal changes, construction projects, business growth, bottlenecks, new trends, and of course, the pandemic.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take care of and invest in your staff with a focus on integrity and passion.
- Find that work-life balance, but know it will always be difficult at times.
- Make sure plans for growth are sustainable and make sense. Growing just for the sake of growing is only going to create headaches.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://citystarbrewing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhitway
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thewhitway/
https://www.instagram.com/citystarbrewing/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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