The Brass Tap celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony in Marina, just around the corner from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) on Thursday, March 23. Karl Waller, The Brass Tap’s owner, grew up in Marina and graduated from Seaside High School. After almost 40 years, Waller is returning to his hometown to open a new taphouse.
The Brass Tap is a craft beer bar and restaurant. Unlike many taphouses and breweries in the rapidly evolving market, The Brass Tap does not brew their own brand of beer. This business model allows them to have more flexibility they say, with the beer they offer and the partnerships they build with local and distant breweries.
Waller expressed “the industry as a whole will continue to grow. With California being a leader for a long time, The Brass Tap is poised for growth. The strategy of not being a brewery is the distinguishing factor. Because we don’t have our own brand, that allows us the flexibility that as the market changes to go out and seek new distributors.”
Developing a sense of community is a crucial component of The Brass Tap’s business goals, according to Waller. Building a space where community members, who share common interests and have an admiration of craft beer, creates a sense of connection, belonging and joy.
Not only will constructing a taphouse foster a sense of community among local residents, but also move our town toward becoming more of a college town.
Apart from bringing a new taphouse with fresh beer to Marina, The Brass Tap will provide more than 40 new job opportunities to the community. Waller emphasized supporting youth and educational activities by offering internships and generating employment prospects for CSUMB students.
“Whether it’s through education directly in terms of projects that (students) can learn from and we can benefit from, but also looking at job opportunities for students,” Waller said. “We’ll have a lot of great part-time job opportunities for the students to support themselves as they complete their education at CSUMB.”
The groundbreaking event exceeded Waller’s expectations and drew a crowd larger than he expected. Its positive reception points towards a promising future for The Brass Tap Marina.
To keep up with the construction of The Brass Tap and find out when job opportunities become available, follow them on Instagram @thebrasstapmarina.
