Interview with Andy and Jen Nelson, and Jason and Cindy Reinhardt, owners
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: Jason and I (Andy) had been homebrewing together for several years. We had always dreamed of opening a brewery in the “wouldn’t it be cool” sense. One day a real plan grew out of the idle dreaming and, with the support of some good people, we jumped right in.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: On the one hand I’m not so sure we want to be distinguished from the other breweries in the Denver area. We have great beer in the Front Range, and the community is extremely collaborative and supportive. Having said that, we focus on our neighborhood, our locals and try to source as much of our needs right here in Littleton. We want to see the same faces time after time, and serve them some great local beer.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: The best part of brewing is the creation of a great beer that people enjoy — working and reworking a recipe and yeast management. I love yeast. I also love the smell of the brewhouse in the middle of a big batch, slinging pints when it’s busy and moving through the full taproom talking with folks. It’s only been three weeks and I’ve met a thousand people with so many great stories. I genuinely enjoy those interactions.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: I suppose there are a couple factors to that. First, we’ll need to earn enough to keep the doors open, but we probably share that with every other business. Some fear saturation as we continue to add new breweries, but I’m not as worried about that. For example, St. Patrick’s Brewing is opening just down the street, and those guys make some good beer. I tend to think that just continues to bolster our little slice of Littleton as a destination. When I used to have time to visit breweries, I would always target two or three close enough together to try a sampler at each. In the end, it will come down to staying successful as a place beer drinkers want to go, and that means making good beer.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: People are surprised to learn that I’m a pilot and Jason’s a chemist. We get a lot of “Jesse and Walter White” references. Mostly, however, folks are most curious about our name: Locavore. We tell them that a Locavore is someone who eats, drinks and shops locally — a mantra we try our hardest to operate by.
Profile
Business: Locavore Beer Works
Address: 5959 S. Platte Canyon Road, Littleton
Hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, noon-10 p.m. Thursday, noon-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Founded: 2014
Contact: (720)476-4419; ; @locavorebeer
Employees: 14
