Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackson Spencer
Hi Jackson, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The idea for Native Brew Works grew out of a deep desire for experiences. After having lived in multiple cities and traveling for work and pleasure, we wanted to bring the great experiences we encountered in other places to Jonesboro. Although there are many things we could do to create a better Jonesboro, the thought of opening a brewery in our hometown has been on our minds since 2012. Dustin Hundley and I started homebrewing in college and both quickly realized that Dustin was much better at the craft, relegating myself to the Assistant to the Brewer position. The idea to open a brewery blossomed but the laws didn’t allow for one to operate in a dry county..
Visiting other places exposed us to the wonderful world of craft beer and instilled a curiosity of how that beer cultivated a community. A city’s beer scene helps communicate the flavor of a city. Along with art and music, beverage and food determine the fabric by which a place is identified. With Jonesboro residing in a dry county, this has hampered its ability to develop a thriving food and beer scene. But with the passing of new legislation, it was immediately clear what Jonesboro needed.
After moving back to Jonesboro from Tulsa, OK, I learned about this new permit that allowed for a microbrewery to operate in a dry county. I reached out to Dustin, who was living in Cooper Young, Memphis with his wife, Ellen, and asked him if he wanted to open a brewery. He said no…but it didn’t take much convincing. Dustin and Ellen moved back to Jonesboro soon after to start working on the daunting task of opening the county’s first brewery. I then reached out to Heath Gammill, a previous work colleague and friend, asking for his help. With the fourth member secured, Native Brew Works was formed.
Here at Native Brew Works, we focus on experiences and cultivating community. The 1960’s era building was renovated to provide comfortable indoor and outdoor spaces unique to our city. Deciding to invest on Gee Street shows a commitment to our community and our willingness to spearhead the revitalization of this once great area. Glass walls separating the brewery allow our guests a glimpse into the brewing process. Hearing the stories of how the beer in their glass was conceived and seeing where it was crafted is more exciting than simply placing an order at the bar. This is a place meant for families to relax, old friends to catch up, and new relationships to form. We want Native Brew Works to be synonymous with the community, culture, and identity of Jonesboro.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being in a dry county in Arkansas and being one of the first to apply for this particular permit was a big learning curve, not just for us but the Arkansas Beverage Control as well. This was a new permit and some of the rules were still not understood. So we spent some time going back and forth on what was and wasn’t allowed.
We decided to invest in Gee Street, which has needed some TLC for a while now. The city didn’t seem 100% on board. There was a lot of push back for trying to develop that area. With this street being in a floodway, it created a lot of challenges. Instead of the city trying to help us find solutions to the rules and regulations of developing in a floodway, they just consistently told us what we couldn’t do. We wish they would have been our partners on the endeavor to help us navigate the difficulties. Now, since we have been open and shown what we have done for our community, they have been a lot more responsive and supportive of our mission.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are cultivating a community by providing guests an exceptional customer experience that goes above and beyond even the best expectations of customer service. By doing this, it grants us the opportunity to create a positive impact in our community and it allows us to continue providing exceptional experiences. Providing an exceptional customer experience is difficult, therefore it is hard to find. There is a lot of great beer and great food out there so we can’t compete on those factors alone. By providing an experience that no one else is providing, it sets us apart.
By being kind, generous, and empathetic to the people we serve, it will flow out of our doors and into the community where we live. We have a strong desire to build a community that exhibits these traits. We want to live in a place where people are kind to their neighbors, give to those in need, and can empathize with others, even those they disagree with. Because a community like this can only thrive.
Connecting with people on a human level, taking responsibility for their needs, and sharing with them the things we are most proud of creates loyal customers for life. Loyal customers keep us in business. And by staying in business, it allows us to continue making important impacts on the community we love and live in.
This is what drive us, we just so happen to sell tacos and beer to help make it happen!
One thing we want your readers to know is that we are in a dry county so you can only get our beer over our counter. No to-go sales, no distribution, just on premise consumption. So make the trip over and enjoy your day basking in our outdoor area or playing a game of ping pong in our event space. We would love to have you!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The big shift in our industry is a move towards operating a full blown kitchen along with the taproom. More and more customers are wanting to have a meal with their beer, and not just a food truck that can be unreliable, but a full menu to choose from. I believe for any small brewery to survive, they will need to figure food out in the next 5 years. We are also seeing more people go towards non-alcoholic options. The NA beer scene is exploding. I suspect this will continue to grow in the coming years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nativebrewworks.com
- Instagram: nativebrewworks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nativebrewworks
