Before Drew St. Cyr opened his own Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Co. franchise in January 2026, the Marine Corps veteran spent six years working for Wild Bill's corporate. He helped launch California operations, managed events across the country and served as a vice president of operations.
But executing an event and owning the business are two different things. Now building the brand's San Diego territory with his wife, St. Cyr is experiencing the launch process from the franchisee side.
“Wild Bill’s is really committed to their franchisees, especially in that first year of operations,” St. Cyr said. “They have really stepped up their level of support in order to help the franchisee accomplish their goals.”
St. Cyr’s connection to Wild Bill’s began after his time in the Marine Corps. In 2017, he helped launch the Warrior Reunion Foundation, a nonprofit that provides cost-free reunions for units that deployed to combat together.
Wild Bill's entered the picture when a vendor backed out of producing commemorative drinkware for one of those reunions. With only two weeks to spare, Wild Bill's produced custom mugs, and team members traveled to the reunion to serve soda throughout the weekend. Soon afterward, St. Cyr traveled to Texas to see the business in action himself.
“To see the numbers that it did in that two-day period, just with such a small crowd, I knew that there was a real big opportunity with it,” St. Cyr said.
St. Cyr joined Wild Bill's and initially worked as a general manager in the Northeast before returning to California to help launch operations there. He later became director of operations, overseeing events nationwide, and eventually vice president of operations. In 2019 alone, he said Wild Bill's worked approximately 365 events.
That experience gave St. Cyr an advantage when he became a franchisee, particularly because he already knew the Southern California event market. For a new owner entering an unfamiliar territory, he said one of the biggest jobs during the first year is figuring out which events actually work.
“You don't know an event until you do it,” St. Cyr said. “A lot of events may look really great on paper, numbers-wise from attendance and things like that, and then you get to the event and there may be nothing keeping those people there, which can impact sales.”
The opposite can happen, too. Events with smaller attendance numbers can perform surprisingly well because they attract a loyal audience that stays longer and engages with vendors. That means franchisees have to build their calendars through a combination of research and experience. Each event also creates opportunities to find the next one as owners meet vendors, talk with organizers and encounter promoters scouting businesses for other events.
While owners need to learn their local markets, St. Cyr said they aren't doing it alone. Since leaving the corporate side of Wild Bill's in 2023, he has seen the company add resources designed to help new franchisees get established.
“In just a couple of years, they have exponentially increased the level of support and resources available for franchisees,” St. Cyr said. “They have a great team at corporate, and they're really on top of streamlining everything instead of reinventing the wheel with every new franchisee.”
That support can include inventory planning, equipment, staffing and business development. St. Cyr said Wild Bill's has also added corporate team members who can help work through event prospect lists, conduct outreach and move opportunities forward before franchisees finalize the necessary documentation and payments.
For St. Cyr, much of the Wild Bill's operating model feels familiar because of his military background. Unlike a traditional storefront franchise, Wild Bill's owners prepare for individual festivals, fairs, conventions and other events, transporting what they need to the site and executing against a plan.
“As far as your pre-event planning, as far as your supply and logistics, as far as your packing out and going to service an event, it's very similar to us packing up and going to the field,” St. Cyr said. “We made a lot of implementations as far as strategy and standard operating procedures and checklists, really trying to make it simple for any newcomer.”
Several veterans from St. Cyr's former unit also joined Wild Bill's and brought some of their military habits with them. Together, they developed procedures and checklists to make the event process easier for new operators to follow.
St. Cyr's familiarity with Southern California also influenced his decision to develop San Diego. Because Wild Bill's depends heavily on events, he sees the market's weather and year-round event schedule as significant advantages.
“There are events all over the place every single weekend, and very different types of events,” St. Cyr said. “You can be on the beach and then two hours later you're up in the countryside in the mountains.”
The climate also allows outdoor events throughout much of the year, while franchisees in other markets may experience greater seasonality or rely more heavily on indoor conventions during colder or wetter months. The event model also means franchisees aren't tied to operating a storefront every day. Instead, they take Wild Bill's directly to consumers at events throughout their territory.
For franchisees without their combined Wild Bill's experience, St. Cyr points to the brand's systems and access to corporate support.
“They have a good support system to help all the franchisees learn all the different aspects of it,” St. Cyr said. “Whenever I have a question, they're there.”
St. Cyr’s transition from Marine to corporate operator to franchise owner has reinforced how much the model depends on preparation, logistics and learning from each event. His first year is now about putting that playbook to work for his own business and building a stronger calendar one event at a time.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/wild-bills.
Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Company
SPONSORED
After six years on the corporate side, Marine veteran Drew St. Cyr is putting his Wild Bill’s experience to work as a franchise owner in San Diego, California.
Before Drew St. Cyr opened his own Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Co. franchise in January 2026, the Marine Corps veteran spent six years working for Wild Bill's corporate. He helped launch California operations, managed events across the country and served as a vice president of operations.
But executing an event and owning the business are two different things. Now building the brand's San Diego territory with his wife, St. Cyr is experiencing the launch process from the franchisee side.
“Wild Bill’s is really committed to their franchisees, especially in that first year of operations,” St. Cyr said. “They have really stepped up their level of support in order to help the franchisee accomplish their goals.”
St. Cyr’s connection to Wild Bill’s began after his time in the Marine Corps. In 2017, he helped launch the Warrior Reunion Foundation, a nonprofit that provides cost-free reunions for units that deployed to combat together.
Wild Bill's entered the picture when a vendor backed out of producing commemorative drinkware for one of those reunions. With only two weeks to spare, Wild Bill's produced custom mugs, and team members traveled to the reunion to serve soda throughout the weekend. Soon afterward, St. Cyr traveled to Texas to see the business in action himself.
“To see the numbers that it did in that two-day period, just with such a small crowd, I knew that there was a real big opportunity with it,” St. Cyr said.
St. Cyr joined Wild Bill's and initially worked as a general manager in the Northeast before returning to California to help launch operations there. He later became director of operations, overseeing events nationwide, and eventually vice president of operations. In 2019 alone, he said Wild Bill's worked approximately 365 events.
That experience gave St. Cyr an advantage when he became a franchisee, particularly because he already knew the Southern California event market. For a new owner entering an unfamiliar territory, he said one of the biggest jobs during the first year is figuring out which events actually work.
“You don't know an event until you do it,” St. Cyr said. “A lot of events may look really great on paper, numbers-wise from attendance and things like that, and then you get to the event and there may be nothing keeping those people there, which can impact sales.”
The opposite can happen, too. Events with smaller attendance numbers can perform surprisingly well because they attract a loyal audience that stays longer and engages with vendors. That means franchisees have to build their calendars through a combination of research and experience. Each event also creates opportunities to find the next one as owners meet vendors, talk with organizers and encounter promoters scouting businesses for other events.
While owners need to learn their local markets, St. Cyr said they aren't doing it alone. Since leaving the corporate side of Wild Bill's in 2023, he has seen the company add resources designed to help new franchisees get established.
“In just a couple of years, they have exponentially increased the level of support and resources available for franchisees,” St. Cyr said. “They have a great team at corporate, and they're really on top of streamlining everything instead of reinventing the wheel with every new franchisee.”
That support can include inventory planning, equipment, staffing and business development. St. Cyr said Wild Bill's has also added corporate team members who can help work through event prospect lists, conduct outreach and move opportunities forward before franchisees finalize the necessary documentation and payments.
For St. Cyr, much of the Wild Bill's operating model feels familiar because of his military background. Unlike a traditional storefront franchise, Wild Bill's owners prepare for individual festivals, fairs, conventions and other events, transporting what they need to the site and executing against a plan.
“As far as your pre-event planning, as far as your supply and logistics, as far as your packing out and going to service an event, it's very similar to us packing up and going to the field,” St. Cyr said. “We made a lot of implementations as far as strategy and standard operating procedures and checklists, really trying to make it simple for any newcomer.”
Several veterans from St. Cyr's former unit also joined Wild Bill's and brought some of their military habits with them. Together, they developed procedures and checklists to make the event process easier for new operators to follow.
St. Cyr's familiarity with Southern California also influenced his decision to develop San Diego. Because Wild Bill's depends heavily on events, he sees the market's weather and year-round event schedule as significant advantages.
“There are events all over the place every single weekend, and very different types of events,” St. Cyr said. “You can be on the beach and then two hours later you're up in the countryside in the mountains.”
The climate also allows outdoor events throughout much of the year, while franchisees in other markets may experience greater seasonality or rely more heavily on indoor conventions during colder or wetter months. The event model also means franchisees aren't tied to operating a storefront every day. Instead, they take Wild Bill's directly to consumers at events throughout their territory.
For franchisees without their combined Wild Bill's experience, St. Cyr points to the brand's systems and access to corporate support.
“They have a good support system to help all the franchisees learn all the different aspects of it,” St. Cyr said. “Whenever I have a question, they're there.”
St. Cyr’s transition from Marine to corporate operator to franchise owner has reinforced how much the model depends on preparation, logistics and learning from each event. His first year is now about putting that playbook to work for his own business and building a stronger calendar one event at a time.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/wild-bills.
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