Ten years ago, Jason and Nicole Lavery opened Lavery Brewing Co. in downtown Erie, just offshore of the mighty Lake Erie. Fast forward to the present day, and they’ve opened another location, this time about 40 miles to the south in the charming city of Titusville, and not far from the natural wonder of Pennsylvania’s only National Forest (the Allegheny National Forest).
Like many business endeavors, it’s been a mix of ready success and imminent challenge with the Lavery’s latest brewpub opening. “Easiest was the turnkey nature,” said Jason. “Everything was there. The most challenging was how dirty the place was: A lot of broken equipment needed repaired as well. Still, a cheaper bill than a complete install.”
The Lavery’s hadn’t necessarily honed in on purchasing a turnkey brewery operation. “We considered a couple places that required a full buildout. We were ready for either scenario, but the turnkey was much better,” Jason confided.
Searching for a new brewery or brewpub location can be an enormous challenge, and turnkey operations offer a significant advantage. “We got really lucky with Titusville. There was an established brewery there for 11 years, so we had a turnkey operation, and that was very appealing,” he said. “The distance, and yet relative closeness, allowed us to hit a new market and still operate out of our home base. In addition, the kitchen is truly a thing of beauty — there are seven people on the line at the same time. We’re cranking out some seriously amazing food. The brewhouse is an American-made ‘Pub’ system that is also capable of decoctions. We decided to use the strengths of that location and focus on lagers, which are a passion of ours already. The hunt for a third location is currently underway, but it may be a few years. We like to take our time.”
As many brewery owners know, the work that goes into opening and running a business is considerable. “Sixteen hour work days are a very real thing. For six weeks, I was waking up at 4 a.m. to head to our Erie location because that’s my baby and she still needs attention every day,” Jason added. “We are very, very fortunate to have an amazing brewer, Logan Hartpence, who holds down the Erie brewery just fine. I’d work in Erie until 9 or 10 a.m., and then drive to Titusville to start the second shift, usually getting home around 9 or 10 p.m. We haven’t gotten into brewing in Titusville yet, but we knew there would be no overlap as to what’s brewed where. For instance, we would never brew our flagship Dulachan in Titusville. There is no need with two locations.”
Lavery Brewing has also had the opportunity with Titusville to have something strikingly different than their first location in Erie. “The two locations are yin and yang in a way. The Erie location is a brewery with a taproom. Titusville is a restaurant with a brewery,” Jason said. “The kitchen in Titusville is as big as the pub in Erie. So, having complementary, unique businesses in the family is fun. Making lagers is very exciting to us, too — and being able to grow our business without adding more distribution. We are very proud that 90 percent of the beer we make is sold over our own bars.”
As Lavery Brewing Co. grows and changes, it’s inevitable that Jason does, as well. “I don’t do any brewing anymore. I help bottle and can weekly, but we’re hiring a cellar person to take that over and also to help out with brewing in Titusville. We have 31 employees currently, and I want them all to be happy. So, my role now is figuring out how Lavery Brewing can continue to move forward and be a profitable, fun company that keeps employing these amazing people.”
Where does Lavery Brewing Co. get the inspiration for new brews? “New beers are usually a result of trying to capture an elusive hop combo that we think sounds good, or some other flavor we are trying to figure out, or doing something very traditional,” Jason explained. “Right now we’re working on a porter with authentic floor-malted Maris otter, cool water profiles and English hops and yeast.”
At the end of the day, Jason’s vision for the Titusville location is an admirable one. “It’s a place that the community can be proud to call their own. A brewery with not only excellent beer, but excellent food, as well. My hope is that very soon when Titusville locals travel out of town and tell someone ‘I’m from Titusviile,’ the response will be ‘Oh, I’ve heard about an amazing brewery there!’”
The Brewers of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit trade association that brings together leaders of Pennsylvania-based breweries in order to promote and protect the brewing industry in the state. Established in 2011, the Brewers of Pennsylvania serves the consuming public of Pennsylvania by encouraging brand diversity in the market. We believe in the nobility of brewing and hold dear the great traditions and history of Pennsylvania brewing.
Photos: Jason D. Lavery
