Raising the Bar: Choosing a Bar Franchise That Stands Out in Your Community

Are you considering purchasing your own bar, but held back by how overwhelmingly expensive it can be to start your own independent brewery? Do you love beer and want to make people happy by providing it for them, but don’t know how to brew your own? Are you interested in the idea of being a part of an award-winning company that makes an amazing product? Do you want to have fun and make money doing it?

If you answered yes to these questions – Voodoo has the opportunity of a lifetime for you! Becoming a part of the Voodoo bar franchise community means you’ll have all of the resources of an award-winning craft brewery without ever having to brew your own beer! 

We make owning a bar franchise easy and fun with our streamlined process. With scaled operations, a tight-knit crew, and a product that practically sells itself, you’ll be shocked at how easy it is to make serious profits with Voodoo Brewing Co. Franchise Opportunities.

Here are 7 reasons why Voodoo Brewing is THE bar franchise opportunity you’ll want to be a part of: 

#1 You get to have your own brewery – without brewing any of the beer!

We call our Brew Master Curt Rachocki the “mad scientist” for a reason! For over a decade, he’s crafted some insanely unique and flavorful beer combinations and doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. His experience and expertise give Voodoo an edge that other franchise bars don’t have – an award-winning, masterfully crafted product. 

We take the heavy lifting and major expense out of owning a brewery: brewing and storing the product. When you’re a Voodoo bar Franchise Owner, you’ll get award-winning beer delivered straight to you and ready for customers’ consumption. 

Without having to worry about the fine-tuning that comes with brewing your own beer, you can still enjoy all of the perks of a taproom with Voodoo. This gives you time to focus on more important aspects of operations and maximizing your ROI. We take the headaches out of owning a brewery for you!

#2 We keep operations simple.

We’ve modeled our pub operations after European Beer Halls, which means customers order and pick up their food and drinks from a counter. This allows you to operate with a smaller number of staff (around 6 people). As you can imagine, the fewer staff you have, the fewer issues to worry about. Not quite convinced?

Let’s put it this way: fewer employees = less overhead = higher ROI. When we developed our Franchise Opportunities business model, we wanted to strip down all of the unnecessary headaches and bring fun back into the taproom. 

This is why Voodoo offers the most simple, yet successful operations possible. Besides, why overcomplicate things? We’re selling beer to people who want to have a good time and hang out in a comfortable atmosphere. And we do it with style!

#3 Low franchise investment = maximum ROI

The initial investment to start your own Voodoo bar franchise is lower than that of our competitors. This is because we keep it simple and operate in the most efficient manner possible. The average gross sales of a Voodoo Brewing Franchise are around $586,202*, and the average gross sales of our top location? $1,143,971*. The sky’s the limit, my friends, and the possibilities are endless!

We allow our Franchise Owners to create true financial freedom for themselves and their families without being upside down in debt. Our sales-to-investment percentage is 115%, which means that you can make all of your money back and see profits quicker than other bar franchise concepts. While we all do this because we love craft beer, it’s nice to make some profits while owning the business of your dreams – am I right?! 

#4 Beer isn’t the only thing on the menu. 

While Voodoo does offer the greatest beer on the planet at a perfect temperature in frosty mugs, there are so many other ways to make money from your Voodoo bar franchise. 

Our sales breakdown is as follows: 60-70% of our sales come from alcohol (and that’s including top-notch cocktails and other liquor/wine sales), 25-35% are in food sales, and 3-5% merchandise sales. The average ticket price is around $27-30 which averages 2 beers and a meal. 

People have options to purchase food, drinks, and, if they love your brewery, they’ll also deck themselves out in official Voodoo merch! There are several different revenue streams to reach your profit goals and numbers, and there are so many marketing opportunities to lift these sales off the ground! We also serve non-alcoholic drinks such as nitro coffee and nitro tea, and all of our merchandise is specific to each location, making it much more special than typical, run-of-the-mill chain restaurant gear.

#5 Our food is straight-up delicious. 

I know we brag about our beer a lot, but the food at Voodoo Brewing Co. is something to write home about! How many times have you loved a certain pub but stopped going because their food is just so-so? You won’t have that trouble as a Voodoo bar Franchise Owner. 

All of our menu items and ingredients are made from locally sourced and fresh foods. Our menu includes eclectic hand-picked items that pair perfectly with our beers. We use unique flavor combinations and new takes on old classics. We love creating fun fusions with classic pub food – we have fun menu items such as Asian shrimp tacos, buffalo chicken grilled cheese, and brunch with bacon pancakes. This is not your average bar food! We take everything to a higher tier of quality at Voodoo.

#6 We’ve got some pretty serious clout… 

It probably sounds like we’re really bragging now, but come on… we’ve earned the right to a humblebrag now and again….and so will you! When you’re a part of the Voodoo bar franchise community, you’ll be a part of an award-winning brand with a cult-like following. What can we say? People love our beer and vibe. We’ve won a major variety of awards. The beer that put us on the map, ManBearPig, was once one of the most sought-after beers in the world.

Some of our most notable awards: 

• Best Local Brewery
• Best Locally Made Beer
• Best Stout in Pennsylvania
• Runner Up for Best Beer in Pittsburgh
• Best Winter Beer 2015
• Product of the Year
• Winslow Award
• Best Food Truck
• Top Beers of the Year
• Thrillist Awards (Best New Brewery)
• Great American Beer Festival Best Beer of the Week
• Best Brunch
• Best Brewery
• Best Locally Made Beer
• Best Burger
• 50 Best IPAs in the Country

Our brand recognition is strong. People know us, people love us. We have a strong online presence with over 40,000 followers across our social channels. Become part of the Voodoo bar franchise movement and know that you have a special part in making this vision happen. We want to share our love of craft beers and a successful business model with you. 

Instead of going out all on your own, be a part of a family of people who’ve got your back and give you the tools for success. Our Franchise Owners never feel left in the dark because they know they have the Voodoo tribe to back them up every step of the way.

#7 People love our eclectic and laid-back atmosphere

At Voodoo Brewing Co., we are all about letting our Franchise Owners express their individual styles and embrace the differences that make you unique. That’s why our customers feel so at home at Voodoo pubs – every single one of them has a piece of their Owner’s personal style and flair. 

We encourage all of our Franchise Owners to make their location unique while still vibing with the Voodoo ethos of serving bad-ass products to amazing people and having fun while doing it. We love incorporating local styles and supporting the surrounding cultural areas. 

Voodoo pubs thrive in urban and industrial locations that offer lots of foot traffic, we are the perfect place to stop and have a beer and a bite to eat before continuing your adventure. Our eclectic decor and comfortable community vibe are what keeps customers coming back and why they choose Voodoo again and again.

Next Stop.. Voodoo-ville!

If you have a dream of owning your own pub, bar, brewery, or restaurant but don’t want to feel like you’re out on an island alone, Voodoo has your back! We aren’t like other cookie-cutter corporate franchises- we actually care about our Franchise Owners and consider each location part of one big community and family. We’re with you from conception to launch, to serving your first customers, and beyond! 

We love to watch you create a major profit from the well-established and loved Voodoo bar franchise brand. If you enjoy award-winning craft beer and want to create a financially stable future for yourself without letting go of your identity, owning a Voodoo Brewing Co. bar franchise is the opportunity that you’ve been waiting for! 

Voodoo Brewing Co. sets itself far apart from the rest – it’s a no-brainer! If you like to have fun and want to make some serious profits doing it, take a look at our franchise opportunities today! 

*Numbers obtained from our 2020 FDD

Should I open my own bar or invest in a brewery franchise?

So, you’ve decided to open a bar. Or at least you’re entertaining the thought- after all, you’re here, aren’t you? If you’re torn between striking out on your own and partnering with a brewery franchise like Voodoo, you’re going to want to read this.

A hot topic for a hot market

With market analysts indicating a post-pandemic upswing in the industry, many entrepreneurs are finding themselves asking that very question. We’ll go in and have a look at some of the challenges and strengths of the different approaches.

At a glance

Opening your own bar is not without its appeal. The idea of starting your very own business from scratch is alluring to some entrepreneurs wanting to test their mettle.

Others feel that a brewery franchise can be creatively restricting, taking on the role of marketing director alongside existing management duties, despite having no background in branding or advertising. I don’t agree with this failure to delegate, as it is an almost ignorant form of micromanagement. 

That being said, many entrepreneurs, including those without restaurant experience feel compelled to take on this incredible risk. Let’s have a look at some of the pitfalls these entrepreneurs will likely encounter:

Real Estate

Finding real estate zoned for restaurants can be challenging, risky, and expensive. Prospective restaurateurs need to be wary of city planning, zoning and development initiatives that will undoubtedly affect their business.

It is also a competitive space, and independent entrepreneurs can often be outbid by large chain corporations that are sure to be interested in prime space. This is where buying a brewery franchise like Voodoo, and having real estate support every step of the way, can be really helpful. (It also doesn’t hurt that we’re more interested in the funky, second-generation real estates that a lot of these other unimaginative chains tend to overlook!)

Permitting

As an aspiring independent bar owner, you’re going to need a lot of permits to operate. Obtaining all of the necessary permits is both critical and a notorious headache for owners.

These include (but are certainly not limited to) food safety permits, liquor permits, signage and parking space permits, dumpster bin placement permits, and the list goes on and on and on. I

t’s enough to make anybody’s head spin, and you haven’t even opened yet. Cities seem to love red tape, and it can be very helpful to have the support of a franchise community to help to navigate it all.

Marketing

“Well, we’ve got the sign out, we’ll be just fine… they’ll be rolling in any day now.” One can pretty much hear the crickets and the tumbleweeds blowing in this scenario, where an independent bar owner has absolutely no idea how to market their watering hole. Or maybe they’re just figuring, “How hard can it be to sell beer? This place will advertise itself!”

It certainly would be nice if it worked like that. 

One pitfall that many entrepreneurs in almost every industry overlook is just how much time and energy and capital you need to set aside in order to market your business. Just because you are opened doesn’t mean people know who you are or what you’re about. 

People only go where they know, so branding really matters. Brand recognition takes time and money to build, it can take years – even decades. Years that entrepreneurs don’t have to wait to fill up their establishment.

• Start-up costs and failure rates – Well it isn’t rocket science – entrepreneurs can add up those real estate permitting, building and renovation contracts, staff-onboarding, and supplier costs and hope to heck there is still a sizable chunk of change for branding and marketing. 

Even if the prospective bar owner gets all that right, if the research has missed anything, he could be watching the city demolish that old strip mall across the street and be sitting across from a condo-development for the next 5 years, only to have the owners move in and complain about the noise from the bar. The failure rate of new restaurants is a staggering 60%.

Yes, it’s sad but it’s true. Many people who have found their way into some wealth or had it all along dream naively of a charmed existence, and don’t realize the grueling hours, hard work and early-death-inducing stress that comes with owning your own bar.

 The restaurant industry was already a brutal one long before the pandemic threw everything into upheaval, and it has only gotten more difficult with safety restrictions, lockdown orders coming into and going out of effect, and of course the ever-present risk of infection.

Luckily there is an alternative and safer way to enter this tough industry. Franchise Owners enjoy all the perks of a successful restaurant with a greatly reduced amount of headache.

Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of investing in Voodoo Brewery franchise ownership.

Lower Risk One of the reasons that a lot of bars fail is the lack of capital. This industry can throw you all kinds of curveballs; maybe a cooler goes down and you lose a store of food, or a passerby crashes his vehicle into the dining room. It happens. Having the backing of a larger brewery franchise, and the support that implies is a far more cautious approach to this (sometimes volatile) industry.

Customer Base and Brand Recognition If one were to look up a step-by-step guide to building a restaurant or a bar, the first step would be to come up with a brand.

People don’t buy products, people buy brands, they buy what a brand is associated within their minds. It takes years and loads of capital to build a strong brand that attracts customers.

Franchise Owners reap the rewards of years of work put into a franchise by the Founders and other Franchise Owners in the system. This is the biggest obstacle to overcome for any bar, restaurant, or brewery. Getting that association is the key to success, and it is already done for you when you buy into a franchise.

Collective buying power – This is a great perk that saves Franchise Owners a lot of money starting out. As an independent, you are far more likely to be bullied into higher prices by suppliers who don’t care if you take your business elsewhere.

When you are a part of a large brewery franchise corporation, however, bar-owners have better deals negotiated for them because suppliers are more willing to make deals to keep a larger amount of business around. And if you’re a Voodoo Brewery Franchise Owner, your supplier IS your franchise corporation- we make all of our award-winning beer right at our Meadville, PA compound, then ship it all over the country for Franchise Owners to have on tap. There’s no need for you to scramble to strike deals with suppliers, as you would if you owned an independent bar. We’ve got you covered- all you have to do is sell some of the most in-demand, celebrated brews in the craft beer industry…think you can handle that?

Franchise community – Fools rush in, as they say. Having an entire community of Franchise Owners, not to mention a hands-on support team to reach out to is indispensable for entrepreneurs making their way. The benefits of collective experience range far and wide, and Franchise Owners know that they have support, no matter what situation the industry may throw at them.

A safer way to an exciting new career – It may have been easy to decipher from the former section; however, it is worth stating that independent restaurateurs need to know what they are doing to have a hope in heck of surviving.

 Buying a franchise through an already well-established and dynamic brand like Voodoo Brewing is a safer way to invest in the dream of running a craft brewery, without necessarily having experience managing a restaurant.

As long as you can embrace the tried-and-true business model and learn a thing or two that the Franchise teaches, it is possible to live the dream of running an award-winning craft brewery franchise like Voodoo, at a small fraction of the risk of opening an independent bar.

Visit our site for more information on owning a Voodoo Brewery franchise.

For owners of bars and craft beer franchise locations like Voodoo Brewing Co., 2021 is the year they can finally see an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it will likely be a while before we are all experiencing everything life has to offer the same way we did before March 2020, our country is definitely closer to normalcy than we’ve been in a long time. But what does this mean for craft beer franchise proprietors- or any small business owners, for that matter? What does the future hold for everyone who just wants to grab a beer with buddies on a random Thursday night, the way we used to? 

Believe it or not, the thing we’ve all been dreaming about- gathering with friends and family for a fun night out- isn’t as far off as it still seems. Here at Voodoo Brewing Co., we’re already taking every step we can to make sure our craft beer franchise is still able to show guests a damn good time- after all, we deserve it! 

We’re sure to see some of the minor tweaks and pivots, like mask-wearing, social distancing, and ramped-up cleaning and sanitation efforts- becoming part of the normal bar experience in the coming months, but these minor changes are nothing compared to the feeling of getting together with your ride-or-die bros and bro-ettes at your favorite neighborhood craft beer franchise (Read: Voodoo!)

Here’s a glimpse into what experts predict for 2021 and beyond.

We all know the pandemic story… But what comes next?

It would have been TOTALLY impossible in 2019 for restaurant and brewery owners to ever guess where they would be today.  Without a doubt, the pandemic has been crazy tough on breweries and on the restaurant industry as a whole. We feel for our brothers and sisters in the craft beer industry, and are happy to report that thanks to a couple of fun little innovations, like our outdoor beer garden spaces and limited beer delivery services, our craft beer franchise is still rockin’ and rollin’, and ready to kick 2021 into high gear!

The pandemic has been especially tough for independent craft brewers and owners of local bars and restaurants. With rent piling up, many owners of small neighborhood pups have been forced into bankruptcy and put out of business. Many brewers were seeing 90% of their sales going to orders placed and enjoyed in-house, pre-pandemic, so to be fair, it may be hard to see why now might be the best time ever to break into the industry with a craft beer franchise like Voodoo Brewing Co.

You may be surprised to find it is actually an ideal time to get the ball rolling if you have ever thought about running a bar or craft beer franchise.

How many times have you thought to yourself lately, geez I can’t wait until I can just go to a pub and simply order a beer again? 

Well, you aren’t alone. 

Good news for craft beer Franchise Owners

The tastier of the NRAs – the National Restaurant Association, released data showing that 83% of adults say they are not eating at restaurants as much as they would like to.

This and other factors have indicated that although now may be an incredibly difficult time to be trying to survive as a restaurant, it may counterintuitively be the prime time to invest for those preparing to enter the industry.  

While the outlook is still grim at the moment for those still currently trying to weather the most disruptive global event in our lifetime, some industry changes have kept the closings down to a minimum. These changes, along with the rollout of vaccines, does offer a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

One positive change for the industry brought about by the pandemic was the introduction of new legislation which allowed for the sale of beverages via e-commerce. With beverage drinks being such a regulated space, this was a victory for craft brewery and restaurant owners alike.
Not every business owner was fortunate enough to survive the tribulations brought on by COVID-19, however, with 17% of US restaurants being reported closed in early December 2020.

With nearly 1/5 of the industry closing its doors, a lot of restaurant and brewpub space has opened up, particularly for craft beer franchise models like Voodoo’s, that thrive on second-generation real estate in quirky, eclectic neighborhoods. This unfortunate reality for those businesses that have closed is actually has a positive effect on those looking to get into the restaurant industry – more specifically for entrepreneurs thinking about owning a franchise.

While there may be a lot of real estate opening up, investing in opening an independent restaurant is still a risky proposition. Just like any other market, as opportunities arise, the space can quickly become saturated.

 If there is an influx of new brands and ideas popping up post COVID-19, it will be too easy to find yourself lost in the noise. Investing in a craft beer franchise at this time would mean that you’d have a corporate team there to provide the proven business model, training, support and Franchise Owner community that would be needed to maximize potential for a return on your investment.

Bart Watson, the Chief Economist for the Brewer’s Association said in an interview with Forbes Magazine that he forecasts the 2nd quarter of 2021 to be still challenging for the industry, and anticipates the beginning of a return to normal for the 3rd period, with a prediction of sales falling 8% by the end of the year.

While there is still much pressure on existing brewpubs across the country, the timing may work out for aspiring entrepreneurs. 

At Voodoo Brewing Co., it takes our craft beer Franchise Owners approximately 9 months after training until they can open their doors and serve their first customers. When compared to the 10-year runway needed to build a new brand in this industry, this seems like virtually no time at all…yet for an aspiring entrepreneur who got started on the journey to craft beer franchise ownership today, it would be just long enough to increase the likelihood of a return to more normal activity by the time Opening Day rolled around.

Is it time to open a craft beer franchise with Voodoo Brewing Co.?

Imagine for a moment you have decided to take the leap, and have invested in Franchise Ownership with us – by the way: Congratulations, good move.  

Once educated on the proven business model, you will be on your way to opening your doors in a rewarding new career managing your very own craft beer franchise- not to mention having exclusive rights to serve Voodoo’s award-winning beers in your community. As previously mentioned, this process takes around 9 months to complete.

Coinciding with the vaccine rollout and subsequent reopening of the world means it is actually a great time to begin the process. You will literally be watching your world open just as the rest of the world reopens, and the hordes of socially distanced and happy-hour-starved survivors pour into the establishments.

When looking at the first “reopening” back after the first wave of coronavirus in 2020, and trying to introduce social distancing into an industry that revolves around people getting together socially, the outlook was grim. 

Reduced capacities, hours, contact tracing, mandatory masks, the list goes on and on. I think it’s safe to assume that aside from the excitement to leave home, nobody was really stoked on what the “new normal” was going to look like.

This time though, (thankfully) we have vaccines.

 With the US government recently securing contracts for enough doses to vaccinate the nation, things are surely looking up. What started as a two-week disruption and led to one of the hardest years known by many, is finally being fought back, dose by dose, arm by arm. 

This time, reopening is going to mean reopening, and normal is going to mean normal – eventually. We may not be there yet, but the end is in sight.

With all this in mind perhaps, when looking towards the reopening of society in general we can afford to be a little more optimistic this time. 

When thinking about what bars and restaurants will look like, post-COVID, we can now look to places like Australia or New Zealand, who have managed to keep on top of coronavirus. 

Photos of crowded rugby stadiums and bars with no plexiglass barriers offer hope that bars will look much the same post-pandemic as they did pre-pandemic. Of course, there will be some new kids on the block, as investors and entrepreneurs see the opportunity ahead of them.

It’s easy to see why right now is such an exciting time for entrepreneurs. The reality of the situation is that ebb and flow is constant. The pandemic undoubtedly has been a tragic situation that nobody wanted to endure. 

One silver lining, however, is the resulting demand that has built up in the population, which is sure to create a space for current and future entrepreneurs to flourish and succeed. 

Interested in owning a craft beer franchise with Voodoo? You have excellent taste! Visit our site for more info.