After pivoting away from distribution a few years ago, Bayou Teche Brewing has invested in an eclectic brewery experience in Arnaudville. Now, the brewery plans to create another location with a similar vibe in an upcoming Lafayette boutique hotel. When it opens inside the planned Hotel Lafayette next year, the new Bayou Teche location will have many of the popular offerings available at its current location: wood-fired pizzas, tiki drinks, and of course, craft beer brewed on site.
Co-owner Stephanie Knott recently talked to What Now New Orleans about how the decision to get out of beer distribution was driven by slim margins and state alcohol regulations that prevent breweries from offering a wider range of alcoholic beverages. The brewery now enjoys higher beer profit margins in its taproom, along with revenue from sales of wine and cocktails.
“We realized our best shot of sticking around was trying to get as many people as possible coming out,” she said. “I think the math is probably the same for most breweries. Your margins are very slim as a manufacturer, especially in our state. If you’re not doing the distribution volume and don’t think you’re going to get there, it definitely makes more sense to (stop distribution and) offer other beverages to people in your taproom.”
Knott said the new Bayou Teche location will have a similar vibe to the country brewery, but be a little more elevated, being located in a boutique hotel. She added that the tiki drinks will be perfect for sipping poolside at the hotel, and there will be a dedicated event venue available for large parties.
The recent announcement of a new location has generated a lot of buzz for Bayou Teche Brewing, which was already well known in the craft beer community.
“We got more people coming to check us out this past weekend,” Knott said. “We had some people say, ‘I heard of you, but I hadn’t come out to the brewery,’ or they heard of us but didn’t know we offer food and cocktails.”
She added that people unfamiliar with the Arnaudville brewery should come see what the buzz is all about.
“We’re working on expanding our menu right now, and people can definitely come to the beers,” she said. “So yeah, they can come out now and get a taste of what’s to come.”
