Posted in Breweries | 2 Comments »

Reading the Beverfood web-site, I found out that Italian Bicu is opening two new brewpubs with their own brand. Until yesterday I knew that Bicu was a simple brewpub in Genoa (opened in 2007). Now I find that it became a chain of restaurants/brewpubs boasting five branches scattered in northern Italy. Amazing, even if the Italian craft beer trend has inured us to a steep growing pace.

In just three years the Bicu project has succeeded in become a true franchise. The formula supports the brewing paying attention to food, with a very varied good quality menu, even complying with particular needs. They even periodically organizes events. As I wrote in July 2008 at its irreverent advertising campaign – that we now could consider as a winning one – the Bicu is a rather trendy premise, youthful but also suitable for families, in which beer plays an important but not leading role.

A chain of brewpubs in Italy is an unusual business model, but not unprecedented. One of the first experiences of this kind has occurred with Befed, which has now 6 pubs throughout Italy, the first of which opened in 1997 (data Microbirrifici.org). Even the Hops! has 4 premises with its name scattered throughout the peninsula.

Many are the similar models abroad. In a thread on it.hobby.birra Laurent Mousson quoted Swiss Les Brasseurs, which has pubs in Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchatel and Nyon. The approach would take inspiration from the French Les 3 Brasseurs, which counts 26 restaurants/brewpubs. In the United States is quite popular Pizza Port, connected to Port Brewing brewer. Finally, the world most famous chain of brewpubs is probably the Porterhouse, which has 4 pubs in Ireland and 1 in London.

What to think of a pub company? Apart from exceptional cases, in my opinion such an approach can hardly provide the same passion and attention to the final product of a brewery or a standard premise. Conversely, if the quality of beer is acceptable, may be a rather interesting alternative business model, especially for the consumer.

Personally, I greatly appreciate the atmosphere of beer premises and the relationship that you may have with landlords, whether a brewer or a publican. I do not like the craft beer “emporium”, which offer their products in a really impersonal way. I think it’s a bit like the difference between “Ye olde” English pub and chains like Wetherspoon: the latter can also boast great beers on tap, but they lack the atmosphere that reigns in pubs like Wenlock Arms or White Horse. On the other hand, many people find themselves equally at home in a Wetherspoon pub … a matter of taste.

Have any of you ever been to a brewpub franchise? Did you liked? What about a similar solution?