LHBS closed

[Banjo-guy]

I am really sad to see that my go to home brew store closed.

Home Brew and Hand grenades in Long Island had a good 5 year run. Pete did a great job of running the store. He had a lot of fresh inventory and even ran a club out of the store. He just had too much online competition I assume.

It’s hard to run any business let alone one with such a niche customer base as home brewing.


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[Beer-lord]

More proof that Brick and Mortar is dying. We only have 1 shop but I question how long it will last. I'd hate to think I'd have to order my 50 lb sacks online.
Maybe Walmart will begin selling beer supplies because that sounds like a great idea, right?

[ScrewyBrewer]

My LHBS does brew on premise and the state of New Jersey came in and requires each person to pay $5.00 for a license to brew good for one day. I've always been a loyal customer to any LHBS where I lived but for some items, I do have to buy online. I can imagine how bad you feel about losing a good resource for buying fresh brewing ingredients.

[RandyG]

Hey All, I guess I'm pretty lucky with the availability of LHBS close to me. One is about 10-15 mins away, and 2 are about 30 miles each away from me. Another closed down last year. It belonged to SJ Porr of the challenge of the same name.It was sad.There is also an outlet store about 30 miles away that carries Mr.Beer and Brooklyn brew kits. I still order from B/D and Mr. Beer for quick recipes or stock up items.I hate to order stuff online for fear of having to deal with damaged items,although I've been pretty lucky(knock on wood). Still wherever you live it's sad to see stores close up. Cheers

[bpgreen]

I buy from my LHBS as often as possible, largely because I want to ensure they stay in business.

But they're not all that local, so I'll often buy small things online.

I think they're pretty entrenched, and will likely continue (especially since their prices are competitive). They also supply LME to area bakeries, so home brewers aren't their only market.

[Crazy Climber]

My closest LHBS has gradually branched out - first, adding a kitchen and about six taps. Now, they are looking to move to a larger location and actually become a full-fledged brewery. So basically, the supply shop part of the business has gone from being its primary purpose to being an "oh yeah, we do that, too" proposition. Doesn't matter to me, as long as they keep selling supplies that I need!