Publication - Business World Magazine

2 | Gritty McDuff’s
Gritty McDuffs co-founders Stebbins, Pfeffer look back on first 25 years
hat they lacked in business
W
gle Portland brew pub to dual-purpose
acumen 25 years ago, they
pub/brewery facilities in two more cities.
made up for in positivity.
“In a sense we were naïve, which
And as it turned out for then-young-
was great for us. We were accepted very
sters Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer
quickly, even though only a small group
– now celebrating a quarter-century in
of people actually understood what we
business with the Gritty McDuffs concept
were doing.”Thanks to the rapid expan-
they concocted in 1988 – it was just the
sion of craft beers to phenomenon sta-
right mix. “When you’re 24 and 26 years
tus within a few years after Stebbins and
old, you’re full of optimism from the get-
Pfeffer got off the ground, the sailing has
go and you’re sure that you’re doing ev-
been generally smooth ever since for the
erything right,” a chuckling Pfeffer says
newbies – who are now taking part in a
these days, while overseeing a Maine-
nationwide recognition of those who took
based operation that’s grown from a sin-
the plunge around the same time.
Gritty McDuff’s | 3
Ed Stebbins and Richard Pfeffer, founders of Gritty McDuff’s
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
Gritty McDuff’s hosted a brewer from a
A casual discussion at The Brewers As-
Vermont-based operation earlier in the
sociation’s annual Craft Brewers Confer-
year for the same endeavor.
ence a few years back was the genesis of
Much of the time in the business’s
the large-scale 25th anniversary fete, in
fledgling years, Stebbins and Pfeffer re-
which similarly-aged brewers at facilities
call, was spent educating the locals on the
across the country are traveling to their
brew pub concept and convincing them of
contemporaries’ businesses to serve as
its legitimacy.
“guest brewers.”
“Beer historians understood that there
Stebbins made a trip to Portland, Ore.
had always been local breweries all over
to play the part in early December, and
America, and Europeans got it, too, be-
4 | Gritty McDuff’s
Congratulates
cause it’s a model they’ve always had.
There they have always operated with
small, local breweries,” Stebbins says. “In
fact, most of our suppliers back then were
European-based, because only a couple
of people were working to supply small
25
years
on
of
Success!
brewers. Most of the suppliers here, and
across the country, were used to working
with these huge amounts of product that
we simply didn’t need.”
Gritty McDuff’s | 5
Freeport co-founders and managing partners, Billy Stebbins and Jon Soule
A CHANGING MARKET
bucks. You saw it with Haagen-Dazs in
Ultimately, the small-scale brewing mar-
ice cream,” he says. “People didn’t want
ket began gathering momentum in a fash-
mass-produced products anymore. What-
ion similar to what people had already
ever the industry or the industry group,
been seeing in the wine and specialty cof-
everyone was looking more toward qual-
fee segments.
ity and they wanted more than just Won-
What was good for Starbucks, Pfef-
der Bread.
fer says, was ultimately good for Gritty
“That’s really the gist of it, but it still
McDuffs as well. “You saw it in the in-
took a long time to develop and get to that
creased popularity of California wines.
level. Because of the infrastructure that
You saw it in the coffee industry with Star-
existed, you had large brewers who had
6 | Gritty McDuff’s
Hearty pub fare at the Portland location
control over the majority of the whole-
You go to another small town like Bend,
salers, so that created a struggle for any
which has about 80,000 people, and there
other smaller entities to get established.”
are another 30 brewers. There are pock-
And though the historical schematic
ets of quality all across the country,” he
was drawn without them in mind, the
says. “What we’ve reached now is a stage
small-brewer framework did begin to take
where we’re connecting the dots. It’s not
a tangible shape as more and more local
just northern New England and the Pacific
operations sprung up.
Northwest. You can get a quality-brewed
From there, it was simple geometry,
craft beer pretty much anywhere.”
Stebbins says.
were too immersed in day-to-day opera-
“There are 53 brewers in Portland, Ore.
Both Pfeffer and Stebbins concede they
Gritty McDuff’s | 7
Freeport Head Brewer
Greg Sansone
The Freeport brewery, overlooked by the pub
8 | Gritty McDuff’s
Portland Head
Brewer Andy
Hainer
tions in the early years to see the industry
“The signs were there, but we were too
changes coming in advance, but once the
busy working as chief cooks and bottle
products and concepts began taking hold
washers to pay attention to them. It’s hard
they soon realized that expansion had to
to cast your focus beyond what’s right in
be in their plans as well.
front of you at that stage,” Stebbins said.
Their facility in Freeport, about 16
“But I always thought we’d grow, even if
miles north of the Portland location on
it’s been at a fairly slow pace compared to
Interstate 295, was opened when the real-
other businesses.”
ization was reached that useful space had
been maxed out in the first location. The
SIMILARLY UNIQUE
third location, in Auburn, is another 20
The locations themselves are modeled af-
miles northwest of Freeport – off of state
ter old-school English-style public hous-
route 136.
es and the ideal atmosphere is one where
Gritty McDuff’s | 9
Interior of the
Portland Brew Pub
The Portland retail outlet, the Brewtique, featuring beer to-go, t-shirts, outerwear and more
10 | Gritty McDuff’s
people from all walks of life feel comfort-
that you can’t enjoy a good beer unless
able sharing a meal and a beverage.
you have some good food in front of you,
And while that general concept is or-
too.”
ganization-wide, each location has devel-
As for the future, the co-founders in-
oped a signature feel.
sist growth is on the agenda, but at the
“Pubs traditionally tie into their com-
same measured pace that’s been a calling
munities, so rather than fitting the com-
card for the initial 25 years.
munity to a pub it was our aim to fit the
“Ed and I go back and forth on that,”
pub to the community,” Pfeffer says. “At
Pfeffer says. “When we decide to do
Freeport, there’s an outside lawn and a
something we do it as a mutual agree-
playground, so it’s not unusual to see par-
ment, and things take longer because of
ents sitting on the deck while their kids
that. My vision right now is to spend time
are playing. It’s really an inviting spot for
getting better at what we do and getting
a family to come out.
the team as solid as it can be.
“In Portland, you’re seeing a lot of
“We’ll keep our eyes open to oppor-
business lunches, and in both Portland and
tunities as they present themselves. I’d
Auburn there’s a nightlife crowd as well.
certainly like to have a couple more pubs,
The priority is the enjoyment of both the
and if the time is right we’ll probably go
food and the beer, because it’s our view
ahead and do it.”
Gritty McDuff’s | 11