In a list released last week, a national trade group named a local craft brewery as one of the fastest-growing in the U.S.
Production at Royal Docks Brewery of Canton jumped about 10-fold between 2016 and 2017 to more than 3,000 barrels per year. Owner John Bikis says Royal Docks’ unique business model early in its launch helped the brewery get the funding it needed to grow.
Owner John Bikis talks about the Royal Docks business model
"We decided to do things a little bit different. We decided to go grab shelf space, where other breweries don’t really have it yet. We did it, and you have to sort of explain to the bank, ‘Hey, I’m doing this at a loss right now, but give me the funding to continue to grow.'"
Another Northeast Ohio craft brewer, Platform Beer Company in Cleveland, made the list at 35th fastest-growing.
Note: This article has been updated to correct a typo.
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