Meet The Man Behind Our Magnificent Cans (And More!): Graphic Designer Tom Ness

If you are a true Voodoo Brewing Co. lover, you must be familiar with our iconic beer cans. It’s a no-brainer that several people were first attracted to our brand by how amazing these cans looked.

Humans are generally visual beings, and perceive how much we’ll like something based on whether we like the look of it. When you see something bright, funny, or interesting, you’re likely to pick it up and see what it is. If it intrigues you, you’ll probably take it home with you. At Voodoo Brewing Co., we use this concept to enhance our beer’s vibe and give our clients the best beer experience.

Not once have we met beer lovers and Franchise Owners asking if our can designs are AI-generated. And our response is always the same—no, they are not. An actual human being creates that unique can art and beautiful designs that give you that distinct Voodoo vibe. His name is Tom Ness, and we’re damn lucky to have his amazing brain in our tribe!

Who Is Tom Ness and How Did He Venture into Can Art Graphic Design?

Tom Ness is Voodoo Brewing Co.’s head of Graphic Design. He’s in charge of creating our iconic beer cans and assisting Franchise Owners in designing their beer pubs to match our brand and attract customers.

Tom has been working at Voodoo for over five years. When he joined us, he worked for free, washing kegs in the back, helping with bottling, occasionally bartending, and doing an assortment of tasks. 

Thanks to his artistic background, a BA in Fine Arts from the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and history with us for several years, it wasn’t challenging for him to please our CEO, Matteo Rachoki, and secure a temporary graphic design gig. He did his first label, and we loved it, then a second one, third, and soon he was our full-time employee. Currently, in addition to the amazing can designs he keeps cranking out, Tom also handles the design of our highly sought-after merch, not to mention design consultation for our attention-grabbing local wall murals and the brewpub locations themselves.

Tom started out as a Graphic Design major at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. In his junior year, the campus introduced a new major called Illustration- a perfect gel of traditional art which he loved doing, and graphic illustration, which he was passionate about. Tom didn’t think twice about changing his major, and it turned out to be a great decision. Tom became the first to graduate from Edinboro with an Illustration degree but didn’t immediately secure a job related to his art education after college. And that’s how he landed at Voodoo Brewing Co. and caught our CEO’s attention. Looking at his work today, you cannot imagine that we were his first formal graphics design employer. His designs are great, and our clients are totally in love with them.

How Does Tom Go About His Designing Process?

Graphic design is a detailed process. Designers have to ensure that they reflect the brand or product they’re working for and capture the audience’s attention.

Some graphic designers prefer understanding what they’re working on—in this case, the name of the brew—first before beginning their craft. Others go directly to storyboarding, spitballing, or idea generation and later fit the product into their existing ideas.

So, how does Tom Ness handle the collaboration and design process?

He prefers being part of the entire process and engaging other stakeholders. Let’s say, for instance, that we are coming up with a new IPA. We will create a list of a few potential names and forward them to Tom. He’ll then tell us what he thinks about them from an artistic perspective. Using this information, we’ll work with him to shortlist the best suits. Next, Tom will create preliminary can designs for the shortlisted names and select the final can art.

We can arguably say that his consultative approach is one of the biggest reasons behind his success. With everyone’s input taken into consideration, the final design becomes not only a Tom Ness idea but a masterpiece that’s a true reflection of our brand.

Does Tom Sample New Beers as An Inspiration for His Designs?

Yes, sometimes he does. Doing so ensures that he designs a personalized can art that truly captures the feel and “spirit” of the beer. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, we explain how the beer looks or tastes and let him work out his magic.

Does He Work with Franchise Owners?

Yes, he does.

Voodoo is no longer a small brand with one brick-and-mortar store. The brand has grown exponentially over the years, and new affiliate pubs pop up daily across the U.S.

Throughout this journey, we’ve learned several valuable lessons. And we’re always more than glad to share this experience with our affiliates.

Tom has been an essential part of our growth. When he joined, we had only a couple of pubs. Thanks to his fantastic designs, fans have increasingly resonated with our brand to the extent that we’re now doing overseas distributions. He knows what our customers love and what may not go well with them. Since we’d love franchise owners and pubs working with us also to prosper, he will work closely with you to help you closely to come up with the best designs. If you have another graphic designer, Tom is always available for professional consultation.

What’s Tom’s Favorite Can Design So Far?

The truth is that he doesn’t have a specific favorite. It’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is. They’ll most probably tell you that they love them all equally, and that’s how Tom often describes his designs.

He fashions every can design in the best way possible. So, if you have a favorite, that’s also his favorite.

Does Tom Consult or Collaborate with Muralists?

Yes, he does.

As we said, Tom appreciates the value of collaboration. Therefore, he widely consults and collaborates with local muralists who have been commissioned for local Voodoo pub design projects. Typically, he’ll give them an idea, listen to their views, and let them incorporate their styles.

There you have it—all you need to know about Tom Ness, our head of Graphic Design. Please visit our franchise website for more information on our craft brewing franchise.

Former Boy Scout Micah Maffeo Aims to Bring “Dopest Pub in Town” to Colorado!

Micah Maffeo is on a simple mission: he wants to have “the dopest pub in town with beers and food you literally can’t get anywhere else in the state of Colorado.” Micah is the latest Voodoo Brewing Co. Franchise Owner, and he’s getting ready to hit the ground running in the craft beer-crazy Rockies! 

Apart from a love of beer, Micah brings a huge variety of previous experience to his venture. He is a military intelligence officer with nearly five years of service, having been in the U.S. Army for seven years altogether. To date, his “coolest job” has been running Boy Scouts of America camps, which he did for 11 years before becoming an executive in the organization. Plus, Micah ran the SALUTE Veterans National Honors Society. He cut his teeth in sales selling cars as well as supporting himself through college by selling guitars.

No wonder Micah doesn’t find time for hobbies, but he loves learning new things. To make time for that, he is using audiobooks that are playing in the background at work or when he is driving. So, not much time for fun then? Well, it’s not entirely all work and no play, as he does love his video games and his Golden Retriever puppy, Auggie.

Micah’s Road to Craft Beer Franchise Ownership

How do you go from military intelligence to buying a craft beer franchise for sale? Micah transitioned into business a few years ago and spent time investing in real estate. “The market got too hot to get a fair deal or cash flow, so I started looking into buying existing businesses,” he explains. Turns out he wasn’t the only one with this idea, and other real estate investors had started doing the same thing. Eventually, Micah thought that franchising may be his best opportunity. 

But it had to be a franchise with a difference: “I didn’t want to sell my soul or identity to a cookie-cutter corporate machine”, he says. “I wanted to bring to my community something fresh, something that was new and brought value. Something that would fit in my community like a glove but was unique. If you wanted what we got the only place you can get it was in my shop.” After researching hundreds of franchises, Voodoo Brewing Co. popped up. 

The first thing that caught Micah’s attention was the vibe, which immediately reminded him of his local enthusiastic craft beer culture. “Coloradans would be shocked to find the pub vibe and design is forged outside of our state,” he notes.

Micah also loved the fact that Voodoo Franchise Owners are being encouraged to reflect their local communities and combine them with the Voodoo flair. Businesses are locally owned, interiors are locally designed, and produce for our chef-inspired menu is locally sourced. 

As a new Franchise Owner, Micah was impressed by the amount of freedom he had to make the business his own. “It’s actually shocking that it’s a franchise model,”he says. As in any franchise, there are rules and brand guidelines to adhere to, but Micah found there were good reasons for those. 

“Overall, this is definitely your ship you’re sailing. You get the advantages and freedom of a mom-and-pop shop AND the advantages and safety of a franchise without the real negatives of both,” he reflects.

Raising the Bar With Voodoo’s Craft Beer Franchise Model

Micah didn’t learn all of this from websites. Meeting the Voodoo team during his Approval Day was a big part of the process, and he doesn’t mince his words: “As a previous greasy car salesman, I can smell a greasy car salesman and a rotten deal from a mile away. No one on the corporate team matches that description because they know what they have created is good quality, it speaks for itself, no need to get pushy or try to hide things. They give you who they are and what Voodoo is about and if you like it great, if not that’s great too.”

As a former salesman, Micah understands better than most that being silver-tongued is not enough to sell successfully. If a product is not great, you will sell less. One of his favorite parts of his new career, he says, is “drinking the beer and knowing this beer is good drinkable stuff, even the styles I don’t like.” Micah laughs. He’s not usually a fan of stouts. “I thought I could definitely finish a glass of this whereas I normally can’t stomach a few sips.” 

If the beer was good, the food was “mind-blowing”. Micah remembers: “I was 75% confident in going with Voodoo when I arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania [for Approval Day], and I rose to 125% after eating the food Chef Nate [Cillo, Voodoo Culinary Director] prepared.” He credits Chef Nate’s food with blowing him away with cuisine that is easy and quick to execute but deceivingly delicious at the same time.

It’s All About the Customers!

As a new Franchise Owner, Micah also found the support from Voodoo’s corporate team invaluable, crediting them with being responsive and supportive throughout the journey. “I feel that Voodoo is my tribe”, he says. “The people of Voodoo remind me of people in my friend group. These people are cut from the same cloth as me and the people I associate with and would choose to spend my limited free time getting a beer with. Being with people that you get, and get you, makes working with them better.”

Even though Micah knew that he wanted to be his own boss rather than work for other people, creating a great environment for his employees is part of his motivation. “My number one job is taking care of my employee. It is the most important thing I do, for when you take care of employees, they take pride and take care of customers and everything else.” 

It’s a lesson Micah learned as a Boy Scout camp director. Becoming known as a good employer not only meant he had seasoned staff returning several years in a row. Happy staff members also meant happy customers. “I stopped running ads, and my camp was booked full several summers in advance, so we had to start a waitlist. All because I took extreme care and invested in my employees and they, in turn, took extreme care and invested in my customers and business.”

The plan is to bring the same philosophy to his Colorado Voodoo pub. “There is nothing more important than our beer, our food, our employees, our customers, and our communities”, says Micah. This clear culture was one of the main arguments for Voodoo. Micah felt that he got “all the support and security of a franchise model with none of the soul-sucking, cookie-cutter, uniformed red tape that comes with a franchise model.” 

He does value the support he has had but one thing he wants potential future Franchise Owners to understand is that they will have to work for their success. “You definitely need to be throwing your shoulder into this venture as an owner because the Voodoo team is not going to do it for you, but you are absolutely not flying solo trying to navigate the complexities of opening a pub by yourself.”

Micah’s Plans for Future Franchise Success

Another piece of advice Micah has for those considering opening their own franchise is to focus on the location for their pub. He recommends lining up 20 or more potential locations and looking at them critically as they may not prove to be right once you look at the inside. Micah cautions that commercial real estate differs significantly from its residential counterpart, and it may take months to find the right location. 

For him, the choice of becoming a Voodoo Franchise Owner has been all about creating the future he dreams of. “[It is all about] ensuring my financial freedom and the freedom to attend my unborn children’s games, recitals, ceremonies whenever I want to.” Apart from his personal goals, Micah has a vision for his customers and his team, too. For his staff, he envisages a place for employees that he would have loved to work at with a leadership team to support him. For his customers, Micah wants to create real value, enticing them to come in for a second, third, and fourth visit. 

He believes that Voodoo’s philosophy of offering an “anti-franchise” franchise opportunity will suit him and his community. Micah is excited to become part of this small, but mighty team, and he is looking forward to bringing his personal touch to the pub, too. 

It’s one of the factors that differentiates Voodoo Brewing Co. from other franchise opportunities. Personality counts, and – together with quality – personality and atmosphere make guests return to Voodoo pubs over and over again. If that sounds like the right opportunity for you, please visit our franchise website for more info.

Give Back to Your Community, Voodoo Style!

If you will give us a minute to brag, we want to say that in our humble opinion, our craft beer Franchise Owners are the best in the business. Not only do they think against the grain and look to provide top-tier beer and food to their clients while fostering a team spirit amongst employees, they’re also dedicated to giving back to their communities.

In fact, giving back is considered a tenet of the Voodoo lifestyle, and our Franchise Owners regularly look for ways to help their communities become the best they can be (as well as spread the Voodoo lifestyle far and wide). We believe the secret to a great franchise is the ability to create community leaders who care about where they live, and one of the first things most of our Franchise Owners do is host give-back events. From concerts and comedy nights to paint-and-sip events, Voodoo brewpubs are perfect venues for hosting fun nights out that benefit the members of your community. Keep reading to learn about two of our most recent charity events.

Burning Empty Calories…and Giving Back!

On September 25, 2021, the Voodoo Brewing Co. Compound in Meadville, Pennsylvania hosted the Burning Empty Calories 5K. Early bird registrants paid $30 in advance while day-of tickets sold for $35. All of the first 150 registrants received a performance-enhancing wrist sweatband as well as a voucher for their choice of a complimentary food or beverage item. Part of the proceeds helped The ARC of Crawford County.

The ARC is dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities by looking for ways to offer participation and full inclusion in the community. They put disabled individuals front and center by focusing on them as people who can contribute to society in a plethora of ways rather than defining them by their disability. Featuring a variety of services, including day programs, family support, and working with disabled athletes to train them for the Special Olympics, The Arc covers a variety of needs for special needs families in the area. We believe their cutting-edge work fits right in with the Voodoo Lifestyle, and we were proud to have the opportunity to work with and meet some of the most wonderful individuals in the community. 

The day of the race was full of excitement as people from all walks of life came to meet at Voodoo Brewery to compete as well as give back to The Arc. AT 11:00 am, race participants lined up to begin their run; however, there was also an assortment of people who came out just to support The ARC as well as enjoy what Voodoo Brewery Co. had to offer. We raised over $1,000 dollars for The ARC which will be used to provide services for children and individuals throughout the area. Overall, we consider this event a great success, and we look forward to seeing what some of our new friends who use The ARC’s services will accomplish in their lives, how they help the community and what they accomplish as they live their version of the Voodoo Lifestyle.

Paint, Sip and Support Local Business!

Another event we recently hosted was a Paint and Sip collaboration with the Kilted Kiln, a local pottery painting studio in Meadville. For this event, we wanted to let the community see the Voodoo craft beer franchise vibe up close and personal, hosting it on the second-floor lounge at the Voodoo Compound. Tickets included a presentation from the Kilted Kiln, access to over 70 paint colors and brushes, a drink ticket for any Voodoo beverage, and a microwave-, oven-, and dishwasher-safe piece of pottery that’s sure to become a family heirloom, or at least a really cool conversation piece. Proceeds went to local businesses that need extra support as they get back on their feet following COVID.

In fact, while some people may question our philosophy of helping others, including companies in direct competition with our sales, we believe a great business is dedicated to uplifting those around them. We need a variety of businesses to keep our communities thriving, and we believe that the key to success is having a variety of options for consumers to choose from. We understand that not everyone is going to like beer (although, our food is pretty great too), but we want them to still be able to partake in the Voodoo lifestyle by participating in our events as well as getting to know us a little better. This philosophy is what has allowed us to shine.

The Kilted Kiln event was a major success, allowing participants to create their own unique pottery item that they’ll cherish for years to come. We had participants arrive from around the state, simply because the Voodoo lifestyle really is for everyone (although we’re sure the beer and food were a definite reason to come out as well). Guests completely designed their items on their own, allowing them to express their creativity in any way they saw fit. After creating their pieces, the awesome employees at Kilted Kiln took each piece back to their studio in order to fire it up in the kiln. After four days (there were A LOT of pieces), guests were able to pick up their items to take home. Lasting over three hours, this event was one of the most popular ones we hosted, and we now plan on making it a quarterly occurrence so we can give back more than ever before.

Get In on the Good Vibes…Own a Voodoo Craft Beer Franchise!

We look forward to hosting more events in Meadville as well as seeing what kids of give-back events our awesome Franchise Owners across the country come up with in the coming years. Voodoo Brewing Co. and its Franchise Owners have donated thousands of dollars to charities and community organizations over the years, and we see that number grow each and every year as the Voodoo Community grows larger and stronger. 

If you would like to get in on the fastest-growing craft beer franchise in the nation, there’s no better time than now. Please visit our franchise website for more info. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be a member of the Voodoo Tribe soon!

How This Probation Officer by Day/Restaurant Worker by Night Ditched the 9-5 for That Voodoo Life

Here at Voodoo, we have some of the most awesome Franchise Owners on the planet, with all dedicated to providing great beer, shattering the status quo, and thinking outside the box to create the best pubs in their local areas. We strive to help everyone achieve their dreams of becoming a Voodoo craft beer Franchise Owner as quickly and easily as possible, while still providing every single one of our awesome peeps with a strong community of people just like them.

Sarah Lister is one of those awesome people, and her story more than shows what makes Voodoo Brewing’s Franchise Owners the best in the business as they trade the corporate grind for the Voodoo Life.

Finding the Voodoo Tribe

Lister quickly discovered Voodoo and wondered if a craft beer franchise would be a good fit. She started going through pages of information, as well as our awesome franchising website, to find whether or not we’d be a match made in heaven. The more she searched, the more she found that piqued her interest. As she got deeper into the Voodoo Life, she discovered that she “…just loved the concept and the people that I spoke to were all very helpful and outstanding! I love the story of how Voodoo came to exist and how it has become what it is today. It’s inspiring to me and excites me to become part of this journey.” She found our business model “great” and loves that we “search for the right fit” as well as how easy Voodoo makes it to understand the process.  It was evident to her that unlike some of those other franchise companies, we cared about all of our teammates from Day One.

Discovering the Voodoo Craft Beer Franchise Opportunity

Lister knew pretty quickly that Voodoo Brewing was the right franchise for her and her skillset, so she set out to get the ball rolling. Our Development Director reached out to provide her with more information, with Lister describing him as, “the most enthusiastic and happy person.” She knew that if someone could love their company that much, it had to be something pretty great. She got a meeting with our CEO, Jake Voelker, and listened to him explain the story of Voodoo Brewing. Jake explained how everything began, something Lister found inspiring, but what really attracted her to Voodoo Brewing was Jake’s personality, with Lister explaining, “He had such a humble and grateful attitude and was so helpful with answering my tons of questions. I felt so comfortable and energized to move forward with success!”

Our first step for all new Franchise Owners is to go through Voodoo Discovery Day. Unfortunately, Lister couldn’t get the full experience due to COVID, and had to have her Discovery Day virtually; however, she still feels it was an amazing experience, pointing out how Voodoo Brewing went “above and beyond” to make her virtual experience exactly what she needed. Seeing how hard we worked to make her get to know us better in the middle of the pandemic solidified her feelings that she was right where she should be. After all, as someone who has worked hard their entire life, she wanted and deserved a franchise that worked as hard she did. Ultimately, she knew she could build something she was proud of with Voodoo while reaping the benefits of our amazing support structure.

Finally, Lister has some advice for those looking to become a potential Voodoo Franchise Owner, saying, “Be patient, ask questions, be open-minded, and be willing to learn! It’s a great group of people at Voodoo and the experience will be so rewarding!” Not to toot our own horn, but we couldn’t agree more. We want all of our Franchise Owners to succeed, and believe us when we say we’ve dealt with everything you can imagine. With Voodoo on your side, you get not only great products your customers will love, but you also get a great team that’s dedicated to helping you succeed.

We would love to welcome you to the Voodoo Family, so get on board with the fastest-growing craft beer franchise in the nation. Want to learn more? Please visit our website by clicking here, and let’s get you initiated into the Voodoo Brewing Co. family ASAP.

Die-Hard Beer Fans Join the Voodoo Craft Beer Franchise Tribe!

Meet Mike and Amy Hitchcock

Hey, current and potential Voodoo Franchise Owners, help us give a big warm welcome to the newest members of our Voodoo Tribe: Mike and Amy Hitchcock!!

Mike and Amy have been long-time die-hard craft beer fans and thanks to Voodoo Brewing Co., their dream of owning their own brewery is finally coming true.

They spotted the incredible opportunity to open a full-service craft beer franchise in their hometown of Reno, Nevada with minimum investment, and you can too! Find out what made Mike and Amy choose Voodoo as their ideal franchise opportunity and why they feel Voodoo stands out among the rest in terms of quality, ease of operations, and of course, care. 

One of the things that set Voodoo apart from other cookie-cutter franchises is that we continue to put the utmost care and love into every inch of our operations. Why? Because we ACTUALLY CARE about producing the world’s greatest tasting liquid and those who drink it. We love our fans like we love our family, because to us, they are what helped us build this company from the ground up. 

Back to Mike and Amy, let’s take a look into their background and why Voodoo was the perfect fit to help them live their dreams and conquer their best life.

Where It Started for Mike and Amy

Mike and Amy first met at a bar in 2011 (remember when people used to meet in real life before dating apps?) and have been happily married for 6 years. They’ve always bonded over their shared love of craft beer and have spent much of their relationship traveling to different cities to experience the local craft beer selection. 

So, they’ve been in the know about Voodoo for a while, and were completely psyched to find out they could own a Voodoo brewpub in their community- all without brewing a single beer themselves. 

Mike says he didn’t seriously consider the Voodoo craft beer franchise opportunity as a real option until he started looking into the planning to build his own bar or restaurant. As you can imagine, he ran into some major roadblocks, as starting an independently-owned bar or restaurant can be a huge undertaking. 

He recalls, “I had no idea breweries even did franchises so when I saw that there was an opportunity to join a franchise that does the brewing and has the blueprint for success, I was all about it.”

Well Mike, we’re sure glad you did! And we’re so glad to have you aboard the Voodoo train, heading west!

Restaurant Experience Not Necessary 

A question we get asked all the time is “do I need to know how to operate a bar or restaurant? I’ve never worked in the service industry before.” And the answer is a big resounding NOOO. 

Sure, it helps to understand what your employees are going through during a rush but if you have a little empathy and a “roll up your sleeves” attitude, you’ll be just fine. 

Mike and Amy didn’t have any restaurant experience at all, other than spending a lot of time in them as patrons and loving the atmosphere enough to want to make it their passion. 

Mike is a grant writer for major universities and Amy is a practiced pediatric oncology nurse, which is probably about as far off from the restaurant and food industry as it gets. But guess what? Mike and Amy are truly equipped to be successful in their Voodoo craft beer franchise because they have what it takes to make their brewpub something special in their community.

Perks of the Voodoo Business Model

Here’s what Mike and Amy named as their top perk points in Voodoo’s business model: 

-Streamlined operations with counter service

-Off-site brewing (fewer headaches, just as much fun!) 

-Access to an executive chef! (We agree – Chef Nate is the BOMB!) 

-Free Voodoo beers at the Voodoo Discovery Day! Yay!

These perks are such a brief overview of the many incentives that Voodoo has to offer. Our Franchise Owners value the opportunity to become part of a unique team that truly cares about their members and knowing the Voodoo tribe always has their back- while still getting to OWN their location, in terms of making it unlike any other Voodoo brewpub around.

You’ll have control and creativity while being supported and surrounded by your Voodoo Family! For our craft beer Franchise Owners, it just doesn’t get much better than that.

Taking the Plunge

Once they got a feel for how Voodoo operations work and requested information about the Franchise Opportunities, Mike and Amy were ecstatic to put their years of ideas into motion. 

Mike offers some excellent insight about taking the plunge and what being a part of Voodoo is all about, “Be all in! I know for some people franchises are all about ROI and investment, but to me, this whole experience is about passion and wanting to be part of the Voodoo family.”

We couldn’t agree more, Mike. Here at Voodoo, we truly believe that it’s all about doing what you love and letting the profits follow. We put our heart into each crafted beer, marketing campaign, and of course, the day-to-day operations of our Voodoo Brewing Co. locations. Because at the end of the day, if you can’t love what you do, it’s not worth doing at all.

Want to be the next to bring a Voodoo craft beer franchise to your city? Here’s how

If you want to take your love of craft beer to the next level by owning your very own brewpub without the hassle of having to become a Master Brewer yourself, Voodoo Brewing Co. may be the ticket to your dreams. 

Why wait to build your future? The time to invest in an established brand with your best intentions in mind is now. Voodoo Franchise Owners are treated like family within the Voodoo Brewing Tribe and we never turn our back on family (Just like the never-ending saga of The Fast and the Furious – Voodoo is FOREVER!)

Opportunity is Knocking…. Let It In!

Don’t let another day go by without finding out if you’re a good fit for owning a craft beer franchise in your community. Complete the form below to let us know a little bit more about you and see if you pre-qualify for our Franchise Discovery Process.