Business & Beer has its first no-show

I guess it had to happen eventually; after all, Business & Beer has been going on for almost three years. When Business & Beer first launched we met on a weekly basis; after a year we decided to make it a monthly gathering as we found it was difficult for people to dedicate one day a week to this business networking event. Now, after another year and a half we have had our first gathering that no one showed up for. Well, no one besides Tanya and me.

When we came up with the concept of Business & Beer it was decided that we would limit the geographic range to the South Bay so traffic would not be a major concern. It was decided that the furthest north we would go is El Segundo and even though it is not really that far away, our El Segundo gatherings were typically smaller than those we have in a city like Torrance. The thing is El Segundo Brewing Company is one of my personal favorites, so I was willing to have smaller turnouts as long as we could continue to introduce people to new local breweries. The thing that bothered me the most was that El Segundo brewing was prepared to give us a tour of the brewhouse and had someone come in to give us the tour and we had no one to give it to. After this last non-gathering there is no question that we will not be able to expand our reach to include new breweries like Three Weavers or even Phantom Carriage because both locations are too far away from Torrance for us to expect anyone to show up.

Our next gathering of Business & Beer will be held March 12 at Strand Brewing Company in Torrance. The scheduled hours are from 6:00-8:00 PM, but if the group is large enough, sometimes we stay a little longer. Strand Brewing Company was the first production brewery in Torrance and was one of the original locations for Business & Beer. Let’s support them for all they have done for the craft beer scene in the South bay and for their support of Business & Beer. They do not have food or food trucks available, so feel free to pick up something to eat on your way there. Strand Brewing Company is located at 23520 Telo Ave # 2 in Torrance.

Remember, Business & Beer is the informal business networking group with no rules such as mandatory meetings or dues. You do not need a special invitation to bring your friends as everyone is welcome. Bring your business cards and a willingness to network, we will provide the people to talk to as well as access to some great local beers. Cheers!