Brew Bank

WHO
Dusty Snethen [pictured]
Ryan Cavanaugh [pictured]
Melissa Snethen

THE PITCH
Brew Bank is a brewpub that features
local beers and incorporates digital technology to
allow customers to purchase beer from a self-serve tap.

Lifelong friends Dusty Snethen, Melissa Snethen and Ryan Cavanaugh enjoy drinking local beers but found it difficult to do so without having to do a complicated beer crawl to try different local brews. Thus, the idea of a brewpub that brought all of the Kansas beers into one place was born.

When the Top Tank contest was announced, the trio decided on a whim to throw their business concept into the ring. They had a significant hurdle standing in their way, however. Self-serve beer was not legal in Kansas at the time the applications were due.

“The Top Tank investors didn’t even blink when we told them we were in the process of trying to get the law changed,” Dusty said. “They thought our concept had potential, so they encouraged us to keep moving forward.”

“They did ask us one important question,” Ryan said. “They asked if we could still make the business work even if we couldn’t get the law changed. We said, ‘of course we can.’”

Making it into the Top 10 finalists forced them to ramp up their planning. They dove into the research for an extensive business plan that included a comprehensive budget, a legislative packet outlining the process of changing alcohol laws in Kansas, as well as identification of a potential downtown location.

“Finding a place downtown that is just the right size and in the right location wasn’t easy,” Ryan said.

Upon winning Top Tank and the $100,000 provided by the investors, they worked with the owner of the building at 822 S. Kansas to begin renovations in the hopes of opening Brew Bank last March.

“It took a lot longer to get the building ready than we anticipated,” Dusty said, “and we encountered some unexpected expenses along the way as well.”

Finally, the doors to Brew Bank opened in September. When customers walk in the door, the first thing they notice is the eclectic décor and the Wizard of Oz murals on the wall. The next thing that catches their eye is the bank of beer taps along the wall, complete with ATM-style card readers at each station.

Customers purchase a card at the bar that comes pre-loaded with a specified number of ounces. They can then select the beer they would like to drink, swipe the card and dispense the desired amount into their glass. The digital card reader system automatically deducts from the card the number of ounces dispensed. This allows the customer to sample several Kansas beers or have a glass or two of their favorite.

Participating in Top Tank opened the doors to resources and contacts that they had not even known existed. While Ryan and Dusty are happy to have won Top Tank and receive the financial assistance that came with it, they agree that they would have opened the business regardless.

“We have wanted to do this for a very long time,” Dusty said. “Once we went through this process and realized we could actually make this happen, no one could have stopped us.”