October 25, 2007 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or Winner of Two |
After 18 years, Mt. Airy ‘pour house’ has new owner
“When Brewer’s Outlet grows up, I’d like it to have some semblance of this,” Paul Egonopoulos says, flashing an image of another beer distributor on his cell phone. In the picture, sunlight pours over carefully stacked pyramids of brightly hued cases, aligned in long, tidy rows. “Look at that,” he marvels. Talking about Brewer’s Outlet, he promises, “I’m going to bring this beer distributor into at least the 20th century, if not the 21st.” A smile widens on the 37-year-old’s boyish face, and he chuckles. The self-professed “Guinness kind of guy” knows his business has some catching up to do, but he started operating it two months ago with a plan to hit the ground running. Egonopoulos has already proven he’s ready to get his hands dirty. Once vice-president of the Private Equity Group at CMS Companies, he quit his job after “catching the entrepreneurial bug.” Exploring over 50 potential companies to purchase over the following year, he noticed he kept ending up at beer distributors. Despite some initial hesitation, he explains, “I thought, it’s not a glamorous business, and it’s somewhat grimy, but let’s give it an honest look.” None of the distributors he saw held his attention until he found Brewer’s Outlet. (The official title is Brewer’s Outlet of Chestnut Hill, even though it is located at 7401 Germantown Ave. in Mt. Airy.) “It was a complete accident,” he says. Getting a haircut one day, his long-time barber asked an unemployed Egonopoulos what he was up to. When he mentioned that he wanted to buy a business, she pointed to the man in the chair next to him and mentioned he had one to sell. Though Egonopoulos decided his company was too large, he did learn the man’s friend was selling a beer distributorship. “The rest is history.” Well, recent history. Nate Eckstut, who sold Brewer’s Outlet after owning it for 18 years, still pops his head in once a week to check in, and that’s okay with Egonopoulos. “From working in private equity, I know transition periods are crucial. A lot of beer distributors when they’re sold fall flat on their face because the old owners don’t help them out as much as they could or should,” he says. Not so with Nate, who worked with Egonopoulos in the store, introduced him to clients and kept his phone close to answer questions, even when the calls came during Phillies games. Though Paul could not have predicted the generosity of his predecessor, he did take notice of Brewer’s Outlet’s management team, particularly Harvey Legett, who had worked there with Nate for his entire 18 years. “Thank God he’s still there,” Paul says. “I can’t tell you how many customers have come up to me and said, ‘You’re keeping Harvey, aren’t you?’ He knows the business inside and out.” Another selling point he mentions is “location, location, location.” Egonopoulos, who grew up in Eddystone and now lives in the Art Museum area, says, “I wish I had discovered this area a long time ago. I thought it would have an older demographic, but there are a lot of young families and people right out of school. It’s hip.” He explains that people in the neighborhood have savvy beer palates — expecting choices beyond the pedestrian stalwarts like Bud, Coors and Miller. To meet demand, he plans to expand his inventory of craft and import beers. Egonopoulos imagines his incarnation of Brewer’s Outlet as being a more modern, accessible, and interactive distributor — a place where people want to browse, hang out and chat with neighbors. He recently hired a beer expert to hold themed tastings on Saturday afternoons. He thinks the next one will feature a selection of pumpkin-flavored beers from breweries like Smuttynose and Dogfish Head. He’s also beginning to promote a home- delivery service, sparing customers from having to carry heavy cases and kegs home. It seems to be an appropriate time to modernize a Pennsylvania beer distributorship, with owners biting their nails waiting for the outcome of package reform laws being reviewed by the State Senate next month. Along with the pros — distributors being able to sell six-packs, customers having more locations to buy beer — come some worrisome cons, particularly for distributors who may buckle from a flood of new competitors, like supermarkets and convenience stores. Egonopoulos, who maintains a warm, laidback style, doesn’t seem worried. Smaller retail spaces can’t match his large selection, and six-pack sales would allow his more tentative customers to sample new beers without a 24-bottle commitment. It’s the classic sign of an entrepreneur: where others see problems, he sees opportunity. Egonopolous, who graduated from Temple University with a degree in economics and international business, says he always thought he’d be involved in international trade. Standing in Brewer’s Outlet looking at the hanging banner that reads “Belgian Beer Room,” he laughs and says, “I guess I am.” For more information, call 215-247-1265.
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