Sake brewery with a tasting room

Local drinkers, tourists, gift buyers and event guests, plus bars, restaurants and shops buying wholesale.

Tasting flights and drinks by the glass, bottle and takeaway sales, tours and events, plus wholesale to local venues.

• Brewing or fermentation know-how
• Hospitality and customer service
• Managing a small team and a budget

• Federal excise licensing and provincial liquor licences, plus any extra licence for serving on site, check each with the regulator
• Food safety and public health requirements if you serve snacks, check with your local public health unit
• Zoning, occupancy limits and accessibility rules for public premises
• Commercial general liability and liquor liability insurance
• Winter footfall and tourism seasonality can change revenue through the year
• Higher fixed costs from rent and staff, so cash flow needs careful planning

Estimates are typically around $200,000 to $600,000, depending on your premises, brewing equipment and tasting room fit-out. Rent and staff add higher fixed costs, so cash flow needs careful planning.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on visitor numbers, bottle sales and wholesale to bars and shops. Winter footfall and tourism seasonality can change revenue through the year.

Check federal excise licensing and provincial liquor licences, plus any extra licence for serving on site, with each regulator. Also check food safety rules with your local public health unit if you serve snacks, and zoning, occupancy limits and accessibility rules.