Please join us for Business & Beer a small business networking event which will be held at Tortilla Cantina. on May 2, 2013 at 6 PM. Tortilla Cantina is located at 1225 El Prado Ave, Old Torrance, California. Please RSVP by commenting below that you will be there.
Join us at Tortilla Cantina at 6PM on May 2, 2013
Last week the Business and Beer networking group returned to the Hermosa Beach gastropub; The Rockefeller. This was the second week that we utilized Meetup.com and it is becoming apparent that this is giving us some additional reach. We normally arrive at our meeting location about a half hour ahead of time so we can get set up and maybe eat before everyone arrives. When we got to The Rockefeller this time there were already five or six people waiting for us! It was going to be a good turnout.
The Rockefeller gastropub, Hermosa Beach
As it turned out, this initial group was the result of a Business & Beer members Phil and Deborah meeting one person and talking about our networking group. That one conversation resulted in five new attendees. In addition, Meetup did provide three new attendees, so combined with the regulars that showed up we had a large group with a majority of the attendees being first timers. They seemed to have a good time so I suspect they will return. That is how we grow; if you know someone that might find value in networking with our group, please invite them. You do not need special permission and we do not need notice ahead of time; just show up.
A nice Business & Beer group at The Rockefeller
This week, March 14, Business & Beer will return to 1321 Downtown Taproom Bistro in downtown Torrance. 1321 Taproom has redesigned their food menu and is improving their beer program, so we are happy to add them to our rotation. For those that have yet to try any brews from the South Bay’s latest microbrewery, The Dudes’ Brewing Company, I have reason to believe they will have a few taps available there. I hope you can join us. All the photos from our gathering at The Rockefeller can be found on GotBaddog.com.
Business & Beer returned to the Alpine Inn at Alpine Village in Torrance last Thursday, and considering it started to rain shortly before we were scheduled to meet, we had a pretty good turnout. The Alpine Inn is a German themed restaurant that was included in the Business & Beer rotation due to the wide selection of American craft beers they pour in addition to the German and Czech brews that are found there. Over the prior weekend we decided to give Meetup a try, so we set up a page with them and thought that would be that. As it turned out, there was an approval process so they did not really put the word out about Business & Beer until late Tuesday; even so, we had two new visitors as a result, so that is a good thing.
Alpine Inn beers on tap
This Thursday, March 14 we will be returning to The Rockefeller in Hermosa Beach. If you have never been to The Rockefeller, it is a very nice gastropub in Hermosa Beach, on Pier Avenue. As it is Hermosa Beach, you may need to search for parking, but it will be worth it. They have about 25 craft beers on tap and have a quality food menu, with many specials available when we are there. In addition to the regular Business & Beer attendees, the last I looked we had close to 10 RSVP’s from Meetup; so we have the potential for a pretty large group. I hope you can join us.
Business & Beer joins Meetup
In the way of announcements, we have a couple. This week, our friends at Sophie’s Place are dedicating their eight taps to four of the South Bay’s own brewers; Strand Brewing, Monkish Brewing, El Segundo Brewing and Smog City. The taps will be dedicated as South Bay Beer Week at Sophie’s Place and runs through Saturday.
Sunday, March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach will host the 1st Annual Froth Awards, The Easy Reader Beer Experience and Gastropub Challenge. The Froth Awards will feature the best of the South Bay’s microbreweries, brewpubs and gastropubs who will put together five food and craft beer pairings. The microbreweries participating include, Strand Brewing Company, Monkish Brewing, Smog City, El Segundo Brewing Company and the Brewery at Abigaile. Food will be provided by The Rockefeller, Hudson House, Hot’s Kitchen, Simmzy’s and others. This sounds like it will be a great time. Tickets at $29 at the door, or you can purchase them online on the Saint Rocke website. If you buy your tickets online, please be aware there is $6.95 in fees per ticket if you purchase your tickets online (there are no fees if you purchase your tickets at the door), however, they have released a promo code “Frothy” to take $5.00 off each ticket. You will apply this at checkout; look at the top right under Sub Total for the Promo code link. The doors open at noon and the pairings begin at 1:00 PM. You can find more details on GotBaddog.com.
Thursday, February 28 marked the fifth time that Business & Beer has met at Strand Brewing Company in Torrance, and once again we had an outstanding turnout. I do not know what it is, but it seems every time we return to Strand, people that we have not seen in a while show up; must be the fresh beers. Thursday we had a nice mix of regulars and people that are starting to show up more frequently. Of course, our host Rich Marcello, co-owner of Strand Brewing Co, never hesitates to send friends of his over to meet our group when he knows they are small business owners; we really appreciate it.
Our next Business & Beer will be held Thursday, March 7 at the Alpine Inn at Alpine Village in Torrance, CA. The Alpine Inn is a German gastropub that has a nice selection of European beer on tap; but they also have a very nice cache of hard to find American craft beer on tap available. They also have a nice food menu consisting primarily of German dishes. At the last minute we decided to try out Meetup, however, we were not aware that there was some delay in getting approval to be in their system. There is a chance that Meetup will announce our meeting in time for a few new faces to show up. We hope to see you there. 
A few days ago I had someone ask what they had to do if they wanted to bring a couple friends next week; I want to be sure everyone is familiar with the process so there is no confusion. If you know someone that you feel would benefit from coming to one of our gatherings, just tell them to be there at 6:00-7:30 and look for the Business & Beer signs on the table. They should then introduce themselves and order a beer. That is it. We encourage you to tell your friends about us. You can tell them the schedule is on the front page of this website or suggest they get on our mailing list so they know whenever a new event is added to the schedule. They can also Like Us on Facebook so they always know what is going on. You can find all the photos from our gathering at Strand Brewing Company on GotBaddog.com.
Last week, Business & Beer returned to the one brewpub in the South Bay that we include in our weekly rotation, The Brewery at Abigale. The Brewery at Abigaile, located in Hermosa Beach, is a great example of what a brewpub should be; excellent foods that compliment the wide variety of beers brewed on-site. This was our first Business & Beer gathering in the Lenten season, so I am not sure how much effect that had on our turnout, which was lower than expected. I did notice that the overall business at Abigaile seemed to be lower than normal, so perhaps Lent is something we will have to account for in our anticipated number of attendees. Luckily, we will not let a little thing like fewer people attending stop us from doing business and enjoying a beer or two.
Ready for Business & Beer
This week, Business & Beer will return to Strand Brewing Company in Torrance. For those that have yet to come to Strand Brewing Co, it is a microbrewery that specializes in ales; featuring their Beach House Amber, 24th Street Pale Ale and Atticus IPA as being some of their more popular offerings. Since it is a microbrewery, they do not sell food but you are welcome to bring food in. We usually have a couple pizzas there to help soak up the beer. There is plenty of street parking and we are requested to park in the street as opposed to the limited parking lot.
A toast to our host
Business & Beer is a networking group that meets every Thursday at a microbrewery, brewpub or gastropub in the South Bay. Our boundaries are El Segundo Brewing Company to the north and the Alpine Inn in Torrance to the south. Our attendees consist of business owners or employees whose job description includes networking and fans of American craft beer. We have no rules, dues or mandatory meetings. Just show up when you can, this is your invitation. You can find our schedule of upcoming events on the front page of BusinessNBeer.com where you can also signup for our mailing list. You can also Like Us on Facebook to help ensure you are kept aware of upcoming events. You can find all the photos from our last gathering at Abigaile on GotBaddog.com.
