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How Voodoo Brewing Co. is scaling a community-first brewpub franchise with bold craft beer, a streamlined model and strong unit-level sales as it expands into new markets for 2026.
Voodoo Brewing Co. has officially earned a place on 1851 Franchise’s 2026 Fastest Growing Emerging Franchises list — a recognition that highlights brands shaping the future of franchising through innovation, momentum and strong demand. As interest from franchisees continues to climb, Voodoo is entering a pivotal phase of expansion.
“For us, what has really started to take hold, creating the right kind of foundation, is that community involvement — that connection, that relationship that we’re building,” said Erik Ivey, chief operating officer. “The foundation is built internally first. We are building stronger foundations, those relationships, with our internal community, our franchise community. We want to continue to do that, not only internally, but also continue to do that externally through our communities.”
Voodoo Brewing Co. opened in 2005 in Meadville, Pennsylvania. In 2012, brothers Matteo and Curt Rachocki took over and built the concept beyond its home market, later rolling out franchising to grow the brewpub model nationally.
“I learned something a long time ago with another company I was with, and that is the power of connection and the power of community — internal and external communities,” Ivey said. “I swear by it at this point. You can’t build a successful business or a successful brand without having the right kind of culture and the right connections. It’s all around the people.”
Voodoo positions itself as a brewpub built around bold craft beer, strong branding and community-first energy, without requiring franchisees to brew beer on-site. Beer is shipped directly to each location, which keeps the concept focused on hospitality, food, events and guest experience. Each brewpub can tailor its food menu to local preferences, and the spaces are designed to feel communal, drawing inspiration from European beer halls. The menu mix also extends beyond beer to include cocktails and hard seltzers.
“We like to say 90%, 95% of what we do is community-based,” Ivey said. “Community-based doesn’t mean that we’re out in the communities trying to sell our business or trying to make a dollar. We don’t want to do it that way. We want to get involved in the community. We want to support and serve our communities.”
Voodoo ended 2025 with 27 locations, six more than it had at the start of the year. New site announcements throughout 2025 signaled the brand’s push into additional markets while maintaining the brewpub format.
“The franchise locations that put community involvement at the forefront of everything that they do have been the most successful Voodoo that we’ve seen,” Ivey said. “They have had the most success. I call them the McMayers of their communities because it’s truly like everywhere I walk inside their communities, everybody knows them. Everybody knows them.”
Voodoo appeals to operators who want a craft-beer-led pub experience with a more streamlined operational lift than a traditional brewpub. The brand’s reported initial investment range is $481,500 to $1,625,000, and its 2025 FDD Item 19 data reports $852,403 in average gross sales for franchised locations in FY 2024. The model is designed to run efficiently, with locations described as operating with a small staff of six or fewer employees, supported by franchisor assistance across marketing, real estate, operations and event planning.
“I would also say that the level of support that we provide is bar none, some of the best that I’ve seen,” Ivey said. “We are always available for our franchise owners. We have a tight system. We have the processes, tools and resources to be able to support the system. We’re also a smaller company. We have a smaller leadership team, which allows us to have more intimate relationships with our franchises. We’re not afraid to jump on an airplane or get in a car and drive out to help support franchise owners.”
Voodoo is currently described as sold out and is working to secure additional markets, with prospects encouraged to join a waitlist for future opportunities. Longer term, the brand’s strategy centers on expanding the brewpub model into more communities while preserving local ownership energy — giving franchisees room to localize menus and community engagement while staying aligned with the brand’s identity.
“There’s always opportunity to reach the consumer through different channels, whether it be catering or mobile pickup, or some of the things that you’ve seen other players in the industry do for some time,” Ivey said. “I think now that we have positioned ourselves a little bit differently, we can start looking at those types of channels to be able to reach the consumer in different ways.”
With a community-first playbook, a streamlined brewpub model and unit-level sales data that gives buyers a clearer view into performance, Voodoo Brewing Co. is heading into 2026 focused on building the right markets the right way. For franchisees, the opportunity sits at the intersection of brand energy and operational support — a concept designed to feel local in every town while still running on a system built to scale.
Stay tuned throughout the rest of the month for 1851 Franchise's full Fastest Growing Emerging Franchises series to explore the other innovative brands making waves in the industry.
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