entrepreneurship : Development News

Nostalgia opened its doors on October 19, right off South Street at the former site of Passional in Queen Village. The boutique could be easily mistaken as just another high-end consignment shop, but owners Rafael Rosado, Arielle Salkowitz and Danielle DiRosa position Nostalgia as an dynamic retail experience.

"Our idea was to bring back classic Americana style and mix it with quality accessories," says Salkowitz. "We wanted to create a lifestyle store that brings back positive memories."

The trio cultivates Nostalgia's brand through a combination of vintage items and contemporary American-made clothing. Salkowitz's own line of 1950s-inspired rockabilly gear, Earl Salko, is sold along with infinity scarves by DiRosa and original pieces from other local designers. Rosado's curated vintage collection includes a 1960s-era elementary school desk and a large selection of vintage eyewear.

Although Nostalgia's vintage wares are most prominently displayed in its display window, Earl Salko is the store's X-factor. Salkowitz created the line after graduating from Philadelphia University in 2011. Her inspiration for the collection was 1940s motorcycle clothing. The line includes pants, jackets and dresses riffing on 1950s circle skirt dresses (a perfect match for those denim jackets). 

Salkowitz sews much of Earl Salko's collection by hand; the denim items are manufactured at a factory in Kensington. Until Nostalgia opened in October, she primarily sold items through Etsy and at local markets, including last summer's Brooklyn Flea at the Piazza. 

As Rosado assisted Salkowitz at vending opportunities over the last two years, he began building his vintage collection. All the pieces gelled in September when DiRosa spotted the vacancy left by Passional. 

"The store is in a great location, so we knew it was a great opportunity," says Salkowitz. "The area gets a lot of foot traffic and you can see the storefront when you round the corner from 3rd street onto Bainbridge. We all wanted to stay in South Philly, and Queen Village is a great area." 

The team signed the lease in late September, and managed to open Nostalgia in three weeks. The store's design complements the inventory: the shelving, clothing racks and furniture are all repurposed, including a large showcase made from an antique gun display Rosado found on Craigslist.

Nostalgia, 704 S. 5^th St., Philadelphia

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Arielle Salkowitz, Nostalgia

In a classic case of necessity as mother of invention, Temple Fox School of Business student Ofo Ezeugwu has developed a website for renters to rate landlords. He observed that students living in Philadelphia were often vulnerable in the rental process. 

"I hatched the idea in February 2012 when I was running for Temple's VP of External Affairs," says Ezeugwu. "Many of my dealings had to do with students' relations with off-campus entities and opportunities. I thought it would be great if students could rate their landlords the same way they rate their professors on RateMyProfessor.com."

WhoseYourLandlord.com launched in October 2012 with fellow Temple student Nik Korablin as web developer. The startup's unusually spelled name regularly raises questions, but Ezeugwu explains that the choice of homonym is intentional — the possessive form of the word 'who' signifies a return of ownership to tenants.

Since its launch, the website has grown to include users in multiple schools across different states. A "fall tour" of East Coast colleges promoted the site and encouraged users to rate landlords in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., North Virginia and New York. Students can also rate on-campus housing such as dorms and residential halls.

Next steps include launching a mobile app in early 2014, and incorporating a way for landlords to respond to comments users leave on their profiles. The growing company also plans to hire in the new year.

Writer: Nicole Woods
Ofo Ezeugwu, Whose Your Landlord

Recently, Flying Kite has covered a surge in residential and mixed-use development in University City. The University City District's 2012 Annual Report showed an increase of 22,000 new jobs over the last decade, with a 10 percent population increase projected by 2015. Successful new outposts of popular brands, such as Yogorino and Shake Shack, have followed this trend and opened in the neighborhood. 

The area's latest delicious amentity? Fried chicken. On October 28, chefs Alan Segel and Dave Clouser opened Wishbone at 4034 Walnut Street and sold out of food within hours. That pattern continued for the first few days, but resolved when Clouser began placing chicken orders exceeding 300 pounds.

"Penn students come from over 100 countries, and every culture and cuisine has some form of fried chicken," says Erica Hope, general manager at Wishbone. "It's something everyone gets."

Wishbone's location -- at the former site of neighborhood institution Lee's Hoagie House, which closed in July after 28 years -- is integral to its business plan. Both Drexel alums, Segel and Clouser hope to model Wishbone's relationship to the community after its predecessor. 

"Lee's was a huge member of the community, not just due to their food but also because of the people behind the counter," recalls Hope, also a Drexel alum. "They set the standard for interaction, which we strive to meet and exceed."

One of the most direct ways that Wishbone will carry on Lee's legacy is in hiring Donald Klipstein, who worked at the sandwich shop for 27 years. Klipstein's experience has made him an "irreplaceable" employee; he creates Wishbone's housemade juices, teas and dipping sauces, and will be kickstarting its delivery service in the near future.

Wishbone is also fostering a relationship with Penn's Greek community, offering complete buy-outs of the restaurant for their private special events.

For Segel and Clouser, the decision to open in University City felt natural, especially after successful stints in fine dining on the Main Line. "We are all from Philly, so we want to stay in Philly," says Segel. "With Wishbone, we get to indulge our creative culinary side, while also building a lasting local presence."

"We feel like freshman entering a new semester in school -- we are eager to meet our new neighbors and exchange ideas," he adds. "Beyond just great food, we are looking forward to being a local hangout. We have a lot of cool ideas up our sleeve that we will roll out bit-by-bit.”

Wishbone is currently hiring. Interested candidates should call (215) 921-3204 or email [email protected].

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Erica Hope, Wishbone

When Farmer’s Road Drive Thru celebrated its grand opening this past Sunday in Chadds Ford, it was the culmination of one of the region’s most ironic adaptive reuse projects. Housed in a former KFC, the new restaurant will feature familiar comfort foods but with a non-fast food twist: healthy, local and sustainably-sourced ingredients.

Courtney Rozsas, owner of Lotus Farm to Table in Media, is the woman behind the concept. She’s had the idea for a healthy fast casual drive-thru for quite some time.

"I've been looking for the perfect location for three years," explains Rozsas, calling the restaurant's site at the intersection of Routes 1 and 202 in Delaware County "the perfect fit."

Inside, a large mounted chalkboard proclaims, "Know where your food is from" and includes a list of the restaurant's purveyors. More than eighty percent of the produce used will be sourced locally, along with 100 percent of the meat and poultry.
 
Ryan Sulikowski, executive chef of Lotus Farm to Table, is overseeing the kitchen.

"I wanted to create a family-friendly restaurant focusing on familiar comfort foods presented in 'better for you' ways," explains Rozsas. "[Sulikowski] was brought on because he likes to take familiar flavors and add a twist."

Sulikowski's menu will feature upgraded takes on classics such as a Stadium Dog -- an all-natural grassfed beef hotdog, sodium-free sauerkraut and low-sodium yellow mustard on a rye pretzel hotdog bun. More out-of-the-box items include the Apple Sandwich, made with local cheddar, local organic American cheese, Granny Smith apple, raw honey and maple sourdough bread.
 
Other touches include an oatmeal bar at breakfast -- it does double duty as a homemade pickle bar at lunch and dinner -- and a build-your-own healthy bento box for kids. Sulikowski and Rozsas are also offering gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.

"We're catering to individuals who are conscious of what they put in their body," says Rozsas. "We hope that's everyone!"
 
210 Painters Crossing, Chadds Ford, PA
Monday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sundays 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Source:  Courtney Rozsas, Owner, Farmer's Road Drive Thru
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Already home to a growing stable of neighborhood favorites, Chelten Avenue recently welcomed another small business to the fold. Founded by Germantown resident and retired Philadelphia police officer Rita Butler, Chocolates by Esonkee is a gourmet chocolate and cupcake company.
 
Butler began making her specialty chocolates in 2005, starting with her signature "naughty nibbles" for bachelor and bachelorette parties (sold in partnership with her daughter’s company Riselng Events, LLC).
 
Over the next couple of years, the nibbles quickly became popular and demand for Butler's recipes increased.
 
"People started asking about her chocolates for other events," explains Risè Gravely, Butler's daughter and head baker at Chocolates by Esonkee. "She expanded to birthdays and celebratory occasions. Eventually, she became certified as a cake decorator and began offering those services as well."
 
In 2012, Butler successfully expanded the business to include themed cupcakes and mini cupcakes. About 6 months ago, Butler and Gravely decided it was time to put some permanence behind their business by opening a storefront.
 
"We scouted several locations along Chelten Avenue," says Gravely. "We wanted to be close to home and in a spot that fed off the high foot traffic along the corridor."
 
Eventually, the mother-daughter duo found their sweet spot, 245 Chelten Avenue -- a bus stop and several neighborhood institutions attract energy and customers. The bakery opened in early March. "It couldn't be a better location," says Gravely. "It’s just big enough and in the heart Germantown."
 
All goods at Chocolates by Esonkee are made with premium ingredients. Gluten and sugar-free sweets are available on request.

"So far, the response and support from the community has been really great," explains Gravely, adding that both she and her mother are particularly proud to add an African-American/women owned enterprise to Germantown’s local business arsenal. 

Source: Risè Gravely, Riselng Events,LLC; Chocolates by Esonkee
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

With places such as Globe Dye Works and The Loom, Northeast Philly does reclaimed-industrial-spaces-turned-artist-studios well. Come February, with the opening of the Cedar Works, West Philly will stake its claim in that ever-expanding market .

A former car dealership, the 15,000-square-foot facility is located in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philly. Once complete, the space will feature 23 studio workspaces, community meeting spaces and other common areas. "We definitely want to have a community aspect to the facility," explains Andy Peifer, carpenter and cofounder of the Cedar Works. "We’ve included meeting spaces with the idea that neighborhood groups and nonprofits have direct access."

The meeting spaces are already a hot commodity: Training for Change, an activist training group dedicated to peaceful social change, has booked space, and plans to hold roughly 40 to 50 sessions there next year.

Despite the communal nature of the Cedar Works, it's not a co-working space. "The studios are more individualized," explains Peifer. The idea is to attract a diverse set of artists and local businesses to use the space how they see fit. "We’ve had a great response so far; we’re now 75 percent occupied with a diverse crowd," he adds. Fine artists, printmakers, professionals, physical therapists and potters have all signed on as tenants.

Peifer credits the great response to the West Philly location—it's an area that has been underserved when it comes to this sort of flexible space."There’s a handful of places like this in the city, but most are found in former warehouses in Northeast Philly," he says. "We were lucky to find this place in West Philly, where big abandoned warehouses are rare."

Of course, the vibrant West Philly arts scene will be a huge factor in the Cedar Works' success. "We see ourselves as an extension of the arts and craft culture that’s already here," says Peifer. "We hope to build off that momentum."

The space is currently in the final throws of renovation. Tenants will begin moving in in early February. Once everyone is settled, the Cedar Works will host a grand opening. 

Source: Andy Peifer, Cofounder, the Cedar Works
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Are you a craft publisher wannabe?  Or maybe you just need an affordable, quiet environment to write?  Well if you’re either, or both of these people, you’re in luck – up-and-coming local publishing company The Head & The Hand Press has officially signed a lease at 2031 Frankford Avenue to open a workshop dedicated to providing a space for those who appreciate literary aesthetics. 

“The space is for anyone who wants to come and write,” says Nic Esposito, founder of The Head &The Hand.  “If you are a freelancer who needs a quiet getaway or you’re a story teller looking to get a book published, the work shop is for you.” 
Nic, a writer himself, says the new space will be for two general purposes.  First, it will provide a membership driven collaborative and creative space for local writers. Second, the workshop will be home to the Press' publishing operations to support novelists and story tellers.   

“We’re particularly excited about attracting that person who has a story to tell but doesn’t have the means to do it,” explains Esposito, who recently wrote his own book on urban farming. “The workshop offers all the traditional aspects of publishing – everything from writing, editing, graphic layout, but will involve the writer in a hands-on approach in a way big publishing companies can’t.” 

Esposito decided to start The Head & The Hand primarily because of the difficulties he saw in the publishing world when he wrote his book.  “I saw the upside of having a publisher help market your material,” explains Esposito. “When I was searching for a publisher, I quickly saw there weren’t many local publishing companies in Philly.”

So he started his own.  After a year of a lot of research and pulling together a committed team, The Head & The Hand was born.  The company officially bills itself as a craft publisher that treats writing as a craft and considers writers to be artisans. Esposito and the new company is influenced and inspired by the movement in Philadelphia and beyond to revitalize the manufacturing sector into locally based, handcrafted industries. 

The new work shop will share be sharing the space with Sarah Anderson, proprietor of the eclectic vintage shop Two Percent to Glory and join other recent Frankford Ave. favorites such as Pizza Brain, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, The Rocket Cat Café, and The Pickled Heron. 

“We’re very excited about the location,” says Esposito, “there are a lot of positive things happening along Frankford Ave. and being in the heart of Kensington fits the artisanal manufacturing aesthetic we’re going for.” 

Esposito and his friend Jim Zeppieri are currently in the process of building the desks for the workshop, hoping to have most, if not all of the work shop built out by November’s First Friday on the Avenue.  From there, expect a lot of events catered to the writing and publishing communities.  “The workshop won’t be static.  We’re going to be involved in the community,” says Esposito, “anything from the basics of writing to lectures on influential writers should be expected.”

Esposito and company will definitely be done by Nov, 16 when they hold an official launch party for The Head & The Hand at Johnny Brenda’s at 8 pm. 

Source: Nic Esposito, founder of The Head + The Hand Press
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

“Creative Urban Renewal” – that’s the mantra behind Twenty Nineteen, LLC, a new, first of its kind, center for social innovators who have an itch to work on the social and environmental problems that Philadelphia faces.    

“The new center is for those who can't just take off a year or six months without income, yet have really cool, viable ideas or working ventures for improving urban problems,” explains Martin Montero, one of the forces behind Twenty Nineteen.  He says the center is mostly aimed for folks in their 20s who “still have a lot freedom to pick up and move to start something new on a shoestring.”

Montero thinks the new center, which is located at 2019 College Street in Brewerytown, will help better connect individuals to Philly’s civic issues, bringing about engagement in ways that aren’t currently possible.  “By default, folks with money, family connections or political influence are those best suited to make social change,” says Montero.  “One of the goals of Twenty Nineteen is to open that opportunity up to others and give them resources and connections they might not otherwise have.”    

A big part of that opportunity will come by way of the center’s physical location.  The model calls for three connected row houses that will house 18 people with an open communal space on the first floor for hosting community events or having visitors.  Rent will be $450/month, but three to six of those folks will get room and board stipends for one year In exchange for a full-time work commitment (50-60 hours a week) to launch or join a social venture that directly benefits Philadelphia. 

An interesting caveat to Twenty Nineteen is that the social innovators who move into the house have to commit to three years of living in Philadelphia.  “This is a unique aspect of the house as compared to similar ventures across the country,” says Montero.  “We want to make sure Philly really benefits from the ideas being generated here.”   

So what kind of ideas the team hoping will come out of Twenty Nineteen?  “Anything from nutrition, health care, green energy to improving civic engagement,” says Montero.  “The goal of the house is to solve some of the City’s greatest urban problems.” 

To help make this goal a reality, Montero and his collaborators are teaming up with Girard College.  “The house is located next door so it makes perfect sense to utilize the College’s campus resources,” says Montero.  “In return, Girard students will have access to the social innovators for an after school/weekend option for apprenticeships centered on several Philly centric civic engagement/social innovation projects.” 

Montero hopes the young adults will serve as role models for the students and catalyze increased civic engagement in a neighborhood that could use some increased attention. 

Twenty Nineteen is ready to kick off a one year pilot project with six social innovators from local organizations here in Philly.  “We actually handpicked the first round of innovators,” says Montero who explained they did so to create an initial healthy ecosystem and ensure diverse ideas were represented.  During the next year, Montero hopes to work out the kinks of the house, finish lining up sponsors and put them in a position to fully launch with 18 innovators come next fall.    

Source: Martin Montero, Twenty Nineteen, LLC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

From the outside, the Hatchatory looks like just another vacant warehouse, blocking views of the river in this once-bustling hub of East Kensington. You might not notice its shining gates, upcycled from steel that formerly covered each window; or the fresh coat of paint upon its windowsills. The bright orange door might catch your attention—a dazzling point against bricks and mortar. However, even if you did notice the door, you probably wouldn’t realize the weight of its symbolism—a happy meeting of old and new—or imagine the incredibly creative things happening behind it.
 
Billed as a “unique workspace for interesting small businesses and interesting people, the building at 2628 Martha St. houses 26 workspaces and dozens of maker-types who bring an artisan approach to manufacturing of all kinds.
 
Just a few weeks ago, Flying Kite took a peek inside at one of the Hatchatory’s tenants, the custom denim and leather goods makers at Norman Porter Company.
 
Fancy Time Studio is one of the Hatchatory’s other interesting makers. The recording studio is owned and operated by producer Kyle "Slick" Johnson, who has worked with bands such as Cymbals Eat Guitars, Rogue Wave, Wavves, Modest Mouse and Philly's own Creepoid. Beth Beverly uses her space at the Hatchatory to create alternative millinery and sculpture with natural fibers and ethically sourced fur and feathers. Another creative business that has set up shop there is Great Graphics, a screen printing business started by two Tyler School of Art graduates 30 years ago. It provides service to artists and commercial clients on fabrics, metal, wood, plastic and glass.
 
Built in 1895, the Hatchatory’s walls first housed a soap and a caulk factory. After about a century, the plant closed, ending its manufacturing days. But six years later, in 2003, Gerard Galster Jr. bought the property. Instead of demolishing the building, he asked his friend Russell Mahoney, a recent grad with a master’s degree from Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, to make it useful once again.
 
“When you knock down a perfectly good old building to put in a new ‘green’ one, all of its static carbon is released into the atmosphere. That’s a true crime in sustainable design,” Mahoney says.
 
The superintendant l’extraordinaire also operates his own design collective and workshop, Broken Arrow, at the Hatchatory. He admits that it is less expensive to replace old with new, but his team at Broken Arrow is dedicated to making it cheaper and more practical. They apply this practice to everything, including old desks from the soap factory days, which they refurbished for the Hatchatory’s workspaces.
 
Mahoney’s team has adapted those workspaces to modern loft units with original exposed brick, beams and hardwood floors. Each is equipped with state-of-the-art ductless heating and cooling systems and floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the rooms in natural light.
 
Common areas in the Hatchatory are also repurposed for maximum use. Recently its garage space hosted WAMB, a Fringe Festival performance that took advantage of the wide-open space by draping circus rings and hoops from ropes on the rafters. The third floor open area provides a perfect space for tenants to exhibit art and sell products, and down the hall Mahoney is working on a communal area with couches and a kitchen.
 
Source: Russell Mahoney, The Hatchatory
Writer: Nicole Woods

The industrial buildings surrounding the 1500 block of N. Bailey Street in Brewerytown have always been known for making and producing things.  But in a tale all too common in urban core neighborhoods, years of neglect and disinvestment have left parts of the neighborhood feeling desolate and forgotten.  More recently, however, as a number of artists have moved into these buildings for live-work purposes, bringing with them real estate developers’ interest and money, the area is reinventing itself, once again producing things but with completely different means and ends.  

Now dubbed the ‘Bailey Streets Arts Corridor,’ according to local ceramic artist and college professor Michael Connelly, the name is well-earned.  “There are now 10 nationally respected ceramics artists living and working within a three-block radius, as well as painters, woodworkers, and a choreographer,” explains Connelly.  "Plus, 12 contributing buildings (commercial and residential) along the Corridor are now under the control of local artists and investors."    

Connelly has been a chief driver of establishing the arts corridor, and is responsible for attracting other artists to invest.  He has also put his money where his mouth is, recently purchasing two properties on North Bailey Street that he hopes to rent out to community artists at affordable prices.

He’s also investing in large renovation projects, more recently converting an old warehouse studio space.  He believes this project in particular will help the corridor reach a critical mass and really take off.  Working closely with his colleague Robert Sutherland, a ceramic artist and general contractor/builder, they have officially started Phase One work on the project, already securing the exterior walls and conducting interior demolition.

Connelly’s work and the resulting conglomeration of artists along Bailey Street got the attention of development and construction firm, MM Partners LLC, who saw the corridor’s progress and even bigger potential for increased investment.  In no time, the company bought up the famous W.G. Schweiker Co. building at the intersection of Jefferson and Bailey Street with plans to renovate it into something beneficial to area artists. 

According to Jacob Roller, co-managing partner at MM Partners, they immediately went to Connelly to gain ideas about what exactly to do with the building.  He recommended converting the space into live-work units for artists, something he saw as severely lacking in the Philadelphia region.

MM Partners is now following Connelly’s advice, filling out the Schweiker building with nine live-work units.  Roller hopes the renovated space will quickly become an anchor along the burgeoning corridor and provide a unique opportunity for area artists looking to save a little money on rent by putting studio space under the same roof as their bed.    

From here on out, Connelly hopes more and more artists and investors will continue to be attracted to the area. 

“Numerous artists have already followed our lead by moving into our rental properties on Bailey Street, as well as infilling the surrounding blocks,” he says.  “Moving forward, we are hoping the artists decide to invest in our area by purchasing property and further solidifying a creative arts vernacular of the community.” 

Source: Jacob Roller, Co-Managing Partner at MM Partners; Michael Connelly, Ceramic Artist/College Professor
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Food ventures officially returned to 310 S. 48th Street in West Philly when the much anticipated Center for Culinary Enterprises (CCE) had a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday to celebrate the pending opening of their new space - a former grocery store that had sat vacant for over 10 years. 

Backed by local business accelerator The Enterprise Center, CCE is being billed as one of the nation’s premiere commercial kitchen centers.  Essentially, it is a culinary incubator aimed to help jumpstart Philly food entrepreneurs by providing them space, resources and contacts in the industry.  To meet those ends, the space will include four state-of-the-art commercial kitchens for rent to culinary entrepreneurs, an eKitchen Multimedia Learning Center and retail spaces.

Since we last reported on this project, a lot of positive progress has been made.  First off, CCE was able to leverage an initial $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) into millions more in state and local grants, private funding, and corporation funding to really jumpstart the commercial kitchen aspect of the project.

CCE also helped initialize a business incubator program called Philly Food Ventures, where CCE’s entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to receive technical assistance for their culinary endeavors. The center has also developed a key partnership with Bon Appétit at the University of Pennsylvania. The food service management company will purchase roughly $500,000 of products from CCE entrepreneurs each year.
 
Through these successes, attracting entrepreneurs and retailers to the Center has been relatively easy.  According to Delilah Winder,  Director of the Center, 30 clients have officially committed to being part of the Center, with hundreds more expressing interest.  And according to Naked Philly, Desi Kitchen, an Indian/Pakistani restaurant, will occupy one of the retail spaces, with coffee shop Café Injera taking the other.
 
With so many milestones achieved over the past few years, the CCE has begun to receive national acclaim, creating interest from other cities around the country who are interested in starting something similar in their respective cities.      
 
But the work doesn’t stop there -  Winder expects the Center to officially open in the next two weeks.  From there, she expects the incubator to launch or move forward 10 businesses each year.  Additionally, they expect anywhere from 54 to 81 full-time jobs will be created in its first year of operation, and nearly 150 over three years.

Source: Delilah Winder, Director, Center for Culinary Enterprises
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

On July 10, after 15 years, 11 months, and 1 week, New Jersey's own Flying Fish Brewery officially shut down production at its Cherry Hill digs in preparation for their move into a new high tech brewery in Somerdale, Camden County.  The relocation quadruples the brewery’s size and will allow them to meet demand, something they haven’t been able to do in Cherry Hill.  Driving this demand are a number of specialty brews the company has become known for over the years, none moreso than their popular “Exit Series” brews that are named for New Jersey Turnpike exits.   

After announcing their move late last year, the brewery has been busy building out their new space, with efficiency and sustainability in mind.  First off, according to he building is a great example of adaptive reuse.  "It was built in the late 1960s and was originally a pressing plant for Motown records," explains owner Gene Muller.  Plus, the building is outfitted with a solar panel farm on the roof that will supply a good portion of the structure's electric.  Rain gardens have been installed on the grounds and will capture 15% of the storm water off the roof and funnel it to the garden, allow it to slowly seep into the water table instead of running into the nearby Cooper River.  "Everything with the building has a focus on sustainability," Muller suggests.   

Other site features include a state-of-the-art 50 barrel German-manufactured brewhouse, 150 barrel fermenters, and upgrades in virtually every aspect of the brewery.  Comparatively, the Cherry Hill brewery only contained 25 barrels and 50 barrel fermenters.   

Once Flying Fish is up and running, owners have indicated plans to reinstate their popular brewery tours.  Muller isn't sure when the tours will start up again, but says "not before October" due to impending legislation regarding strict state laws limiting how companys like Flying Fish can sell alcohol.  For example, laws, some of which have been on the books since Prohibition, state that New Jersey microbrewers are not allowed to offer product samples outside their brewery, something Flying Fish and other believe has to be amended.

Recently, the company has been active in getting these laws repealed, and supported a bill that just passed in the New Jersey state legislature.  It now sits on Governor Christie’s desk, awaiting his approval.  The way Flying Fish sees it, passing this bill will help small brewers improve tourism opportunities and cut needless red tape that hinders their ability to expand in the future.  And perhaps more importantly, Muller indicates if the legislation passes, more jobs will be created too.   "If it passes, we would hire staff so that we could be open to the public for tours several days a week."  

Writer: Greg Meckstroth
Source: Gene Muller, Owner, Flying Fish Brewery