CASE STUDY
Small Batch Standard Helps Southern Grist Brewing Co. Benchmark Their Performance and Set the Stage for Growth
SERVICE
Brewery Benchmarks Assessment
LOCATION
Nashville, TN
We had a true apples-to-apples comparison to other breweries that was invaluable to validating our business direction in response to the challenges of 2020. This is feedback and benchmarking you just can’t get anywhere else.”
Southern Grist Brewing Company is a Nashville, Tennessee, based craft brewery serving unique, out-of-the-box beers from their two vibrant taprooms.
They were recently featured in Forbes Magazine as one of the American South’s Best Craft Breweries and are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of craft beer.
Overview
✘ Needed to take stock of financial performance
✘ Wanted to know if they were on the right path forward
✘ Looked for specific expert guidance rather than broad advice
✘ Engaged Small Batch Standard for a Brewery Benchmarks Assessment
✘ Analyzed finance, taproom, operations, distribution, and leadership performance
✘ Provided custom findings and recommendations for profit and growth
✘ Reassurance and third-party validation of their performance
✘ Financial tracking recommendations to increase visibility and profit
✘ Clarity on business direction for 2020 and beyond
✘ Momentum for future growth
The Challenge
Benchmarking for the Future
Like most other craft breweries across the U.S., the challenges presented in 2020 forced Southern Grist’s leadership to take stock of their financial performance and future potential. So when Jamie, responsible for the day-to-day financial execution of the business, wanted to determine if they were on the right path forward, he reached out to the team at Small Batch Standard for help.
"Our business provides a livelihood for 20 plus people. Not only ourselves, but our employees and their families. And there was a lot on the line to make sure that however we moved forward was the right path forward. So we engaged Small Batch Standard because we were looking to see how we compared and contrasted to other breweries."
While the everyday numbers were under control, Jamie wanted a clear-eyed assessment of their financial position and performance from an unbiased, expert perspective. And Small Batch Standard’s Brewery Benchmarks Assessment service seemed like the perfect fit to bring their experience, data set, and benchmarks to the table.
The Solution
Apples-to-Apples Comparison with Expert Insight
After initiating the Brewery Benchmarks Assessment process, the Small Batch Standard team collected information across the five key functions of the brewery: finance, taproom, operations, distribution and leadership.
Through an intake process developed to uncover critical details and insights, they were able then to interpret Southern Grist’s numbers as well as uncover additional context surrounding the brewery’s history, growth trajectory, local market, current issues and decisions, and ultimate vision.
From there, the SBS team ran the brewery’s numbers against their best practice benchmarks and data set, distilled from working with 100+ craft breweries over the past decade.
"The data that is publicly available is generally from much larger breweries. So it’s not a good apples to apples comparison. Instead, they took our financial data, analyzed it, and ran it against the data they already had inhouse. Small Batch Standard was able to then really tell us where we stand with respect to other breweries that are in our weight class."
The Result
Peace of Mind and Momentum Forward
The assessment as a whole provided the reassurance that comes from a third-party validation of their business performance and a confirmation of their strong financial position in the midst of an uncertain market.
"It’s led to creating some momentum, investing and ensuring we’re looking at the business the way we want to. We intend to take the assessment and turn that into a workable plan, with some items that we’ll execute again in the second half of this year in order to put ourselves in a great position to continue growing the business."
The most valuable output of the exercise; however, was the momentum that came as a result. After completing the Brewery Benchmarks Assessment, Southern Grist now has the confidence to not only finish out the year strong, but look ahead — planning, investing, and laying the groundwork for the future.
"Small Batch Standard was able to really tell us where we stand with respect to other breweries in our weight class.”
Ready to Explore Whether
Small Batch Standard
Can Help Your Brewery?
Schedule a short exploratory call with the SBS team to learn more about our Numbers Powered Growth service.