Episode 55 - Mark Edelson | Iron Hill Brewery

In this episode, Brian has a beer with Mark Edelson, co-founder and owner of Iron Hill Brewery. Mark shares his entrepreneurial journey, and how it all started with his friend, and eventual partner, home brewing beer in 1989 as a hobby.From working for “the man” to becoming The Man, Mark walks us through the highs and lows of being a restaurant owner during the pandemic, with over 1600 employees to under 200 employees in 10 days. Listen in on Mark’s experience working with private equity, the curse of being a midsize business, his favorite and not so favorite beers, and why it’s so important to have your spouse on board before committing to the restaurant business. Key takeaways: - Opening a 2nd location is harder than opening your 20th - Entrepreneurs succeed by pure force of will - If you want to quit your day job to become an entrepreneur, make sure your family and support system are on board If you only have 10 minutes: 2:00 - Learn about the business, which just hit its 26th year! 6:00 - It all started with a home-brewing kit 11:40 - The challenges of working with a business partner 14:37 - The “iceberg” view of owning a restaurant 16:40 - The effects of the pandemic on the hospitality industry, plus the importance of pivoting, and taking care of your employees 22:00 - What happens when you’re in the middle of construction on 4 new restaurants and a pandemic hits? 30:20 - The evolution of a business 36:00 - A round of rapid-fire beer questions Mark, thanks for joining us, it was a great show! Cheers! 🍻 HAPPY ½ HOUR DRINKS: Inkredibly Juicy by Iron Hill Brewery - Brian gave it a 4.5 out of 5: https://untappd.com/b/iron-hill-brewery-inkredibly-juicy-ipa/4206576 Learn more about Mark: https://www.ironhillbrewery.com/ Learn more about Rivers Edge Advisors: riversedgeadvisors.com/ Connect with Brian Carney on Instagram @riversedgeadvisors_llc Connect with Brian on untappd.com - brcarney7 More episodes: happy-half-hour.com