Today we’d like to introduce you to Chico Dupas
Hi Chico, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ebony & Ivory Brewing was never the plan. Initially, Mitch and I started homebrewing to save money we were spending at local breweries. We brewed our first batch in January 2019, and after several batches, more people wanted to try our beers. This led to phone calls requesting that we brew batches for weddings, graduation gifts, anniversary parties, and more. As our beers started to circulate, we built relationships with local brewery owners in the area. With their encouragement, Mitch and I decided to pursue opening E&I.
We asked ourselves, How would we be any different from other breweries? This question led us to adopt our mission: to encourage diversity and communal growth by creating approachable craft beers and providing them in an environment that welcomes all walks of life. Taking cultural differences into consideration, we intentionally seek out opportunities and methods to bring people together—regardless of race, economic status, religion, or age—for the common good, using craft beer as the catalyst.
Now, after 2 ½ years of being open, I can proudly say that we have become known in the community for actively living out this mission.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth for us, to say the least. Shortly after opening, the craft beer industry took a nationwide nosedive. As a result, it has been difficult to sustain enough taproom traffic to meet the financial needs of the business. This forced E&I to make several pivots in its business model in order to survive, including wholesaling, contract brewing, adding Bonsai Seltzer menu options, and offering non-alcoholic THC drinks. We also had to take on the role of event coordinators to consistently bring patrons into the taproom.
All these moves have proven to be the lifeline that has kept our doors open, and we are seeing steady growth in the business.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Both Mitch and Chico are athletic trainers by profession, and we both still maintain our full-time jobs in the field—Mitch primarily working as a cast tech and Chico working at a local high school. Chico loves his job as an athletic trainer and can’t imagine a time when he would give it up completely.
Pricing:
- On of our core values is affordable beers and try our best to keep prices resonable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ebonyivorybrewing.com
- Instagram: ebony_ivory_brewing
- Facebook: Ebony & Ivory Brewing
