ANDREW - Origlio Beverage

On-PremiseSPOTLIGHT
Candlewyck
It is rare to find a bar, deli and bottle shop all under one roof, but
Candlewyck on Durham Road in Buckingham, Bucks County manages
to do it well. This unique experience is all thanks to owners Dan and
Mike Carey. The brothers, who have both worked in the beer business for
years, opened Candlewyck in 1998. The two love the ever-changing
dynamic of the industry and can’t imagine doing anything else. “I knew a
long time ago that a desk job was not for me,” says Dan.
Although the siblings run a successful business, Dan is quick to point out
that they don’t do it alone. His loyal staff consists of multiple family
members who have been with the business for years. “Working with family
does make for bigger fights,” Dan laughs, “but the trust and loyalty can’t
be beat – it really works for us.” Mike currently owns the successful New
Britain Inn as well and is always quick to share ideas. “Mike and I
are a good team,” says Dan. “He’s a great leader – his fingerprints
are all over this place.”
Competitive by nature, the brothers saw the industry transforming and
knew they had to make some changes to keep up. “There aren’t many
bottle shops in the suburbs and we wanted to offer something different
to attract a new set of drinkers. It was inevitable; we had to delve into
the craft scene. That meant offering a much larger variety of products,
and we just didn’t have the room.”
The decision was quickly made to expand their fairly small takeout. The
brothers, who own the shopping center in which Candlewyck resides,
took over the store next door and renovations began. In addition to
knocking down the wall between their existing takeout and the new
space, a fresh coat of neutral-colored paint was added to the walls,
additional lighting was embedded into the ceiling, a new bathroom was
added, new tile floors were laid and air conditioning was installed. But,
most importantly, a 16-door cooler and brand new, dark wood shelving
was installed to accommodate the 1000 different selections of bottled beer
they offer.
With the right space intact, they were halfway there. “Selling craft beer
means being knowledgeable,” says Dan. “The beer customer today is
more informed than ever before so we have to continuously educate
ourselves and stay on the cutting edge of trends in order to gain their
respect. If they find us credible and helpful, they will return.”
Dan’s Nephew, Ryan, a certified Cicerone and self-proclaimed beer geek,
was the perfect choice to manage the “Home of 1000 Beers”. “Ryan is
amazing. He really understands this world and he loves it,” says Dan. A
frequent visitor to sites like Beer Advocate and Rate Beer, Ryan, in addition
to sampling beers himself, often learns about new brews by researching
online. “I like to see what people are saying about them.” Ryan has also
built great relationships with his customers who “know a ton about beer
and are more than willing to suggest new products.”
With such a vast selection, organization is key in the bottle shop. “We
group the beers by origin so that the breweries’ products aren’t scattered
around the store,” says Ryan. In addition, shelf talkers inform the customer
of each product’s origin, brewery, ABV and taste profile.
Customers also love the “mix-of-six” option. “It gives people a chance to
try a variety of beers without having to buy a whole case of something
they’re not sure they’ll like,” says Ryan. “What’s also great here is that
Owner, Dan Carey (right) and his nephew,
Ryan Martin, manager of The Bottle Shop
someone can try a new beer at the bar and
walk less than 100 feet to purchase that
same beer to take home. I really think it’s
great that people don’t have to worry about
drinking and driving. For most people who
enjoy drinking craft beer, it’s really not about
getting drunk anyway. It’s about
appreciating the flavor.”
With an operation such as theirs, it’s
imperative to keep customers informed about
what’s new in the store, when sampling
events are being held, which rare beers are
available and the current specials being run.
“We send out a weekly email blast
announcing the new beers we are selling,
what’s on tap at the bar and some sneak
peeks at what’s coming soon. We have
collected over 1200 email addresses from
customers and we often run contests for
those people to win a rare beer. We are
also active on Facebook and Twitter, it’s a
great way to get the word out.”
In the future, Dan plans to continue improving
upon the business. “We want to add TVs,
table and chairs to the takeout so people feel
comfortable to hang out and we’ll soon be
offering a few taps and growlers so people
can take home draught beer.”
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