Lee County's first craft brewery to throw 10th anniversary bash and you're invited
Expectations weren’t overly high when Rob and Jen Whyte talked about opening a business as a side hustle.
“When we said we were going to sell some beer in the back of a warehouse with food trucks, people were questioning it," Jen said. “It didn’t sound like a great idea.”
Turns out, it was brilliant.
This weekend, Fort Myers Brewing Co. — the first independent brewer in Lee County and one of the largest in the state — will celebrate its 10th anniversary and four days of festivities are planned begin Thursday (see more details at end of the story).
“We blinked and it’s 10 years later,” Jen said.
“We have been extremely busy so in one sense it seems like we’ve been doing this forever and in another, it’s gone by so quickly,” Rob said.
Growing strong
A lot has changed in those 10 years. When the couple moved here from California in 2011, they worked from home.
“We were new to the area and thought, OK, we can do this, meet some friends and have some fun,” said Jen. “We quickly realized this could be our full-time jobs.”
The day after it opened, Rob quit his day job as a software engineer.
“Looking back, he should have done that sooner,” said Jen. “When we focused all of our attention on the brewery, it grew more rapidly.”
And, oh has it grown.
When they first opened, Rob, Jen and Kaitlin Griffin were the only employees. Griffin, who was their first bartender, still works all the special events and is, “very much part of our team,” said Jen.
That team consists of 27 employees today.
The four beers they had on tap when they opened in 2013 are now 20-plus daily that rotate.
“We have lots of recipes,” said Rob.
During their upcoming four-day bash, they will release 40-50 craft brews, including their 10th anniversary IPA.
Simple beginnings
It began in a 300-foot taproom and two seven-barrel fermenters.
“We were open Friday and Saturday to start and we closed at 6 p.m.,” said Jen. “We brewed on Sundays. We were figuring it out as we went along.”
Open two days a week and closing by 6 doesn’t sound like a winning business plan, but it was.
“While it seems a little weird, it worked for us,” said Jen. “It made us a destination with limited hours. We were very busy those two days. We added a day at a time and grew every time.”
There’s now a four-vessel, 30-barrel system that can make 16,000 barrels a year.
Five days before they opened, they sent two kegs of Gateway Gold to their distributor. Now their beer can be found at 1,600 local bars, restaurants and retail outlets.
“We’ve grown 20-30 percent year-after-year since we opened,” said Rob. “I think we were No. 5 in the state for taproom sales in November. It’s quite busy in our little warehouse.”
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Accolades followed, including a gold at the 2022 World Beer Cup, golds at the Best Florida Beer Competition and Great American Beer Festival, and Grand National Champion at the 2021 and 2022 U.S. Open Hard Seltzer Championships. The list could go on and on.
And the Whytes give back to the community, regularly hosting fundraisers for local charities, causes and families. Rob made his food truck trailer into a mobile laundromat, doing laundry throughout the area for those in need after Hurricane Ian.
“We got great community support from the start,” said Jen. “Opening the brewery and the way all of Southwest Florida has made us feel part of the community, we love that. You don’t get that everywhere. We’ve been through a lot lately with COVID and Ian. Being part of the business community and everyone rallying around, it’s been really awesome.”
Future plans
After all the growth and accomplishments over the last decade, maybe the Whytes will just sit back and take a break?
Yes and no.
They bought 23 acres next door and phase 1 plans to expand include “a 7,000 square foot taproom, a half-acre grass area for music and events, and a 10,000-square-foot outdoor patio area,” with a food truck pavilion, according to Rob.
“We are on pause right now with construction costs,” he said. “We had planned to break ground in the fourth quarter of 2022. After (Hurricane) Ian, we lost distribution.”
“We reevaluate after every quarter,” said Jen. “We are careful not to overspend.”
Birthday bash
In the meantime, the Whytes are gearing up for their anniversary celebration.
When they started, there were “two food trucks in Lee County,” said Jen, noting: “Now we have a roster of 50 trucks rotating through.”
There will be 14 different trucks featured throughout the event, including Wicked Streatery, Mobstah Lobstah, King’s Tacos & Burritos and the new Smokin’ Oyster Brewery Food Truck.
When asked what they’re looking forward to the most, Rob turned his focus back to the community.
“Anniversary parties usually bring out people haven’t seen in a while,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing those faces.”
Can’t make it this weekend? No worries.
There will be special 10-year celebrations throughout the year. Think special beer releases, commemorative merchandise and more.
“But try to come,” said Jen. “We would love to see everyone.”
Sounds like an excellent idea.
Robyn George is a Community Content Editor for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send scoops, deals and news to [email protected] for editorial consideration.
If you go
What: Four-day 10th anniversary celebration at Fort Myers Brewing Co.
Where: 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, Gateway
When: 2-10 p.m. Thursday; 2-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday.
Full event schedule:
Thursday: Food Trucks — Mad Brunch, Smokin’ Oyster Brewery Food Truck, Cositas Gourmet, Island Vibez Grill, Pryceless Island Grill Food Truck. Live Music — Chris Bepko (3 p.m.), Briz & Lady (7 p.m.)
Friday: Food Trucks — Wicked Streatery, South Pizza Co., Mobstah Lobstah, Cositas Gourmet, Mambo. Live Music — Matt Walden (4 p.m.), Rock Republic (7 p.m.)
Saturday: Food trucks — Wicked Streatery, Viet Yum, King’s Tacos & Burritos, Only Doubles, Beau’s BBQ. Live music — Brian Markley (1 p.m.), DJ Nate (4 p.m.), Ralph Curtis Band (7 p.m.)
Sunday: Kick the Keg Party. Food trucks — Mad Brunch, Don’t Give Up, Mambo. Live music — Gator Nate (noon), Jeff Lyons (4 p.m.)
Information: Find them on Facebook, at fmbrew.com or call 239-313-6576.
Note: Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Seats fill up quickly.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County's first craft brewery to throw 10th anniversary bash
