Voodoo Brewing Co. Brings the Fun with Award Winning Liquid-Gold Beer and a Menu Custom Tailored to Each Community Brewpub

What could be better than a truly local business? Voodoo Brewing Co., the anti-corporate, pro-fun brewpub franchise with 17 locations nationwide, allows franchise owners to bring just that to their community. While it provides the support and brand awareness associated with franchising, Voodoo Brewing Co. allows its owners to cater the business to the community they know best through customized menus, hosted events and local product sourcing.

“This is a new breed of franchise. We’re community-driven, and we want every owner to feel like the business their building truly is theirs,” explained Brent Dowling, CEO of Raintree. “Every franchise owner and every pub gets their own Voodoo logo design just for them to reflect something of that community alongside the general Voodoo elements. Every Voodoo that you go into, you’ll know you’re in a Voodoo, but we create space for franchisee-driven changes and community-based representations to customize the space.”

Voodoo Brewing Co. owners stand out in their communities because of the food, drink and camaraderie that their brewpubs offer.

The Community Connection

The Voodoo Brewing Co. leadership team focuses intently on creating the best liquids, and it’s this development and direct delivery that allows franchise owners to offer the sought-after “liquid gold” in a streamlined way that creates more time for community connection and development efforts.

“What makes Voodoo unique is the fact that we’re developing and creating beers with leading styles and recipes in the craft beer sector,” said Matteo Rachocki, CEO of Voodoo Brewing Co. “We brew an array of beers that are some of the best displays of the styles that are out there — everything from light to dark to hoppy to blonde and everything in between.”

The team has long been confident in its craft, but national and international recognition within the craft beer community only solidified the belief that the team had in the Voodoo liquid. As the beers continue to rise in popularity and see great demand today, local owners have a chance to address that demand, being the local heroes that provide a much-loved product to the community.

Local owners quickly become a staple in their communities by bringing this product, as well as a range of other (often localized) offerings to the table, allowing for a truly personalized brewpub experience. In addition to the liquid gold, local owners have branched out to begin offering craft cocktails, like the Blue Sapphire and Mango Ginger Margarita, and hard seltzers. 

“We really try to focus on taking both our liquor and hard seltzers to the next level, infusing healthy powders and avoiding too much added sugar or artificial coloring,” said Pete Gaeth, mixology and seltzer programs head. “Our customer base appreciates that. We started our liquor program in 2017, and every year since then, we’ve had record sales.”

As it continues to expand its beverage menu, Voodoo Brewing Co. has proven that it really does have something for everyone, and guests can have a great experience in the brewpubs, regardless of their liquid preferences.

“Voodoo isn’t pretentious, it’s welcoming. The Voodoo model comes together for people who want to be together,” added Dowling. “A big part of localization is that franchise owners are hosting events regularly — often local music.”

Each Voodoo Brewing Co. location hosts 12 events per year. While owners have great influence on which events take place, they are not left to navigate the entire process alone; the corporate marketing team helps owners to build out an event calendar.

Food Customization and Local Sourcing Add Another Element of Specialization

The corporate team also supports local owners in welcoming other community staples into the fold through fresh, localized menu offerings and ingredient sourcing.

Menus across Voodoo Brewing Co. locations vary, but the common denominator is that they leverage unexpected flavor combinations to offer food items that stand above standard “bar food,” and each location customizes offerings to cater to local tastes.

“My favorite part of this whole process is that there are so many demographics we’re working with,” explained Sean Kirzyc, chief culinary officer at Voodoo Brewing Co. “Each market that Voodoo enters has its own culture and food classics. My approach is always to pick a food classic and ask, ‘How do we make it a Voodoo food?’ Maybe elevate it, maybe just add our flair to it.”

A prime example of this process is Kirzyc’s addition of pig wings to the Cincinnati location’s menu.

“Going into places like Cincinnati, I like to look at what made them what they are, and the butchery industry in downtown Cincinnati was so big,” said Kirzyc. “In the logo, they incorporated pigs with wings, so it only felt natural to do pig wings. Now, we’re cutting down the shank and cooking up pig wings in Cincinnati.”

This process is important for both owners and their patrons. Food sales are a key driver of Voodoo Brewing Co.’s ability to scale, and the team wants to ensure that each community is getting food options that actually appeal to them.

“Food is 50% or more of the revenue system-wide,” explained Dowling. “When we open in a new community, a number of items are put on the menu that make the location unique. That makes it feel like the brewpub is more ingrained in the community itself. In terms of menu development, if your community wants it, they’re going to get it.”

Food offerings — and community connection — are elevated further through partnerships with other local suppliers. In building brewpubs’ customized menus, Kirzyc also considers what local offerings might be useful. These partnerships often come in the context of produce and baked goods sourcing, but owners are encouraged to build relationships and shop local for other items, too.

“For example, Oktoberfest is coming up, and we’re talking about a beer-braised brat and kraut,” he said. “We’re discussing how to get connected with local butcher shops in each market and talk about putting one of our beers into their homemade sausage. It’s as easy as a phone call, email or just showing up, and many local businesses are very excited to do it. They want to put their name on someone else’s menu and build brand equity themselves.”

Voodoo Brewing Co. also branches out with beverage options.

Another local connection is made through beverage sourcing. While local owners receive deliveries of Voodoo-specific brews, there is space on the menu for other craft beer, specialty cocktails and local wines. Many owners will choose to welcome other local craft beer offerings to their brewpubs, supporting the community and further specializing the Voodoo offerings to cater more specifically to the community.

The Finishing Touches

The open floor plan and communal seating style found in Voodoo Brewing Co. brewpubs serve to bring the entire experience together. Modeled after the European beer hall, Voodoo Brewing Co. locations have a central pouring and ordering station where guests can make their selections, and the remainder of the brewpub is filled with flexible, communal seating.

Rather than a build-out that forces guests to select a table, order with a server and essentially remain contained to their seats for the entire experience, Voodoo Brewing Co. boasts a connected, communal feel and actually offers a layout and seating plan that encourages guests to settle in, make their own food and beverage selections and begin to connect with their table and bar-mates over a great meal and live music.

With a Voodoo Brewing Co. business, owners can unite other local business owners and guests through a welcoming, fun-loving, like-no-other atmosphere.

“That’s what Voodoo is more than anything — it’s fun,” said Dowling.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit 1851franchise.com/voodoobrewingco/info