We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Steve Hartman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Steve thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
The idea to start WoodGrain Brewing Co. came in 2013, a time when there was only one nanobrewery in the back of a downtown beer bar. There was a brewpub that had closed in the early 2000s, and since then, no one had taken the leap to start up a dedicated brewery and taproom. We traveled to surrounding communities in the region and became friends with brewery owners and brewers so we could learn more about how to pull this off and what their experience had been. We kicked around opening a bigger brewery to serve the regional craft beer demand, but found it was far too expensive and a little beyond our knowledge of the industry. We landed on a smaller microbrewery model that would serve our local customers and provide limited distribution in the area. The search for a space began in February 2014 and would last for over year, something we never saw coming. Landlords were not willing to take a risk on some guys with no experience and the desire to do something that hadn’t yet reached Sioux Falls. After securing funding from our local bank and putting our houses and our cars on the line, we found our current space and got the “yes” we had been waiting for. Six months of buildout, sourcing equipment, and late nights building all the needed furniture and woodworking, on September 3, 2015 WoodGrain opened its doors to a very excited and loyal customer base.
Steve, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was born and raised mostly in Sioux Falls. I spent my high school years just over the Minnesota border. My dad owns a cabinet shop that I started working in when I was 12. He found an acreage near Hills, MN and moved all of us out of Sioux Falls to expand his business. I spent my high school nights working in his shop to make money so I could have the freedom I desperately wanted. I learned so much about efficiency, leadership, and fine woodworking skills that are relevant in my craft today. I had considered going to culinary school but I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to cook every day. I attended college in Minnesota for a semester before moving back to Sioux Falls to enroll in the local technical college with the goal of being an auto mechanic. After a semester I discovered school wasn’t for me and I went back to work in my dad’s cabinet shop, eventually managing it before leaving in 2007. I spent a few years in finance but also found it wasn’t quite the fit for me; I wasn’t passionate about it like I had thought. I started learning about craft beer and had become a huge fan over the next few years. My parents got me a beer making kit for Christmas in 2010. Little did I know that gift would change my life dramatically over the next 5 years. I started making beer at home and was in love with the process, the ingredients, and how to get different flavors from every element in the beer. It’s like every prior experience had set me up to start a brewery and I had found something I loved to do. At WoodGrain our product is delicated crafted beer, but what we discovered is that we offer something so much more. Over the last 8 years I’ve seen new friendships bloom, strangers fall in love, and relationships develop that I never would have had without this business. I’m so proud of our team and our dedication to quality beer. Most breweries are good at making a few styles, but I want to be good at everything we do. The small things matter the most.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
We’ve built our reputation in the local beer community by treating everyone as a guest at our own home. We want to provide the best product, give the best service, and have a clean environment for people to unwind after a long day. We’ve built strong relationships with other breweries and businesses in the area. When you work hard, strive to be better, and treat others with compassion and love, people notice.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
During the search for a space for our brewery we looked at dozens of properties. The first one we found was actually across the street from our current location, but the landlord had said no. We didn’t have enough assets for their comfort level on this little known industry. We kept moving forward and found another. We spent 6 months of negotiating only to finally be told no, they couldn’t take the risk and we didn’t have the money to give them to guarantee the lease. I wanted to quit. I was tired of talking to real estate agents and landlords only to be told NO over and over again. It wasn’t until I saw a space available in a building in which we had previously been denied. It was smaller and more affordable, and had excellent street visibility and a great patio. Our real estate agent was apprehensive about asking this landlord, who had already said no, about this newly found space. I don’t quit and I’m not good at accepting no. I went directly to the listing agent and got us in for a meeting with the landlords. We brought beer, showed them our vision for the space, and they said yes. I remember being so relieved and crying that night. We did it! 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.woodgrainbrew.com
- Instagram: @woodgrainbrew
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/woodgrainbrew
Image Credits
Corey Gross Photography