The San Francisco Bay Guardian (based in Potrero Hill) announced the winners of their 2nd annual Small Business Awards, and Potrero Hill’s Anchor Brewing was the winner of the ‘1906 Earthquake Survivor’ category.
In the intro, Bruce Brugmann speaks of the importance of supporting small businesses:
A long list of studies shows that small businesses keep more money circulating in the local economy than big chains. The chain money is wired out of town every night - and chains are more likely to buy from other chains, in bulk, and thus rarely patronize other local businesses. So very little of the dollar you spend at a chain store stays in the community, which means its impact on the local economy is negligible. Money that stays in town creates more jobs, more business activity, a more stable economy and a larger tax base.
Read MoreHere’s an excerpt from the Guardian about Anchor Brewing:
Situated at the foot of increasingly residential Potrero Hill, San Francisco stalwart Anchor Brewing Company defies typical American business practice. Still independently owned and community oriented after more than 100 years in business, the brewers of Anchor Steam have found international success without turning to outsourcing or investors. With only 54 employees producing a mere 55,000 barrels of beer annually (Sierra Nevada brews 600,000 and Sam Adams 1.5 million) Anchor remains small, traditional - and in business. Anchor is a survivor, all right, but the brewery might not have lasted if it hadn’t been for a young Stanford graduate, Fritz Maytag, who bought a majority share of the business for a few thousand dollars in 1965. The 19th-century brewery had burnt down twice (once after the 1906 earthquake), relocated, changed owners at least three times, and closed for 13 years during prohibition.
Read MoreIn a related note, you may have noticed that the Potrero Hill Association of Merchants and Businesses took out a full page ad in the April issue of the Potrero View as part of their ‘Buy Local’ campaign. The ad includes a long list of local businesses (Potrero Hill SF included) - by supporting these neighborhood businesses, you help keep Potrero Hill a thriving and healthy community.
• Anchor Brewing [website]
• Potrero Hill Association of Merchants and Businesses [website]
• 1906 Earthquake Survivor: Anchor Brewing Company [Guardian]
• Anchor Brewery Tour Photos [Laughing Squid]
• San Francisco: Designated Brewery [Washington Post]
It should also be noted that Fritz Maytag and Anchor Steam Brewing consistently utilize the other small businesses on Potrero Hill. His company uses Good Life Grocery for food and supplies, He visits Daves Food Store, Kleins, Flo’s Barber Shop and many others. Fritz Maytag and his employees will always seek out a local source to do business. And he is always a pleasure to do business with.
Lester Zeidman
The Good Life Grocery
Tours are run weekdays by appt only. Its a 45 min tour which is educational to those who know nothing about brewing and insightful to amateur brewers. There’s a tasting afterwards for about 1 hour. Get a designated driver or use public transport. If you’re a big group you’d want to book a month ahead, individuals can sometimes get in a day or two before if you’re lucky.
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/tourinfo.htm
For tour reservations call:
415-863-8350
Photos of a typical tour from Po’ hill’s Scott Beale
http://laughingsquid.com/2005/12/22/anchor-brewery-tour-photos/