Small business owners and brewery owners are one in the same, hence the need for, and the importance of, Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30, and Small Brewery Sunday, Dec. 1, a weekend that encourages support for local breweries, brewpubs, taprooms, and small businesses that contribute to local communities and economies during the holiday season and beyond.
And in a holiday shopping season dominated by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Shop Small Weekend shines a light on the importance of supporting smaller, independently owned businesses. By choosing to shop local, you’re making a positive impact that extends well beyond the transaction.
Why shop and support local? It’s simple. In short, money spent local, stays local. It creates jobs, pays wages and local taxes, all while supporting our community.
The idea of Small Brewery Sunday is to spotlight the contributions of craft breweries and small businesses to their communities and the economy while promoting their unique and high-quality beers. Many small breweries rely heavily on community support, and this day provides an opportunity for beer enthusiasts to show appreciation. By participating, you’re not only enjoying fresh, locally crafted beer but also contributing to the sustainability of small businesses in your community.
Small breweries contribute to local economies by creating jobs, sourcing local ingredients, and attracting tourism. Supporting them ensures that money stays within the community, fostering economic growth. And after challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, these small businesses need customer support to recover and thrive. This weekend highlights the importance of continued patronage.
According to the Brewer’s Association, craft brewer volume sales declined by 1% in 2023, raising small and independent brewers’ share of the U.S. beer market by volume to 13.3%. Despite the overall decline, small and independent brewers contributed $77.1 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023 and provided nearly 460,000 total jobs, with almost 190,000 jobs directly at breweries and brewpubs, including serving staff at brewpubs.
It has been another tough year for closures in Western New York. From Pressure Drop Brewing closing their taproom and brewing facilities after being purchased by Ellicottville Brewing to Marquee Brewing in Olean, BTR Brews in Angola, 12 Gates of EVL and 42 North Brewing Outpost in Ellicottville and Windy Brew Batavia closing, keeping your dollars local has never been more vitally important.
“Supporting your local brewery is important every day, however, Small Brewery Sunday is a great day to highlight the importance of those local breweries to every community in New York State,” Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association, said. “It’s been tough for [some of] those breweries, this year’s Small Brewery Sunday is more important than ever.”
The economic impact of small businesses cannot be overstated. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses create two out of every three new jobs in the United States. The bottom line is, your dollars help create jobs when you choose to shop local.
Shop Small Weekend, Small Business Saturday and Small Brewery Sunday offer a chance to slow down and savor the things that matter: conversation, friendships, community — and finely crafted concoctions of malt and hops.
Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
