Wake Brewing: Expands Canning Operation to Meet Growing Demand
Story and Photos by Jonathan Turner
Loan Product: Small Business Loan
Loan Product: Small Business Loan
|
Vertical Divider
As the craft beer industry continues to grow in the United States, Wake Brewing in Rock Island, Illinois, stands out by expanding its manufacturing and canning capabilities to meet increasing demand. The $28.9-billion U.S. craft beer industry has seen significant growth, and Bridge Investment has been a key ingredient in the recipe for success in supporting Wake Brewing’s expansion at 2529 5th Ave., Rock Island, helping the business scale in production to reach new markets.
Owned by brothers Jason and Justen Parris, Wake opened in 2017 with a distinctive brand focused on heavier music influences, setting themselves apart by carving out a niche by offering a unique atmosphere and experience. “If we create the brewery like we’re in a band, what’s successful for bands?” Jason says. “A lot of it is imagery, start to think about our beer lineup that’s on tap, we think of it as an album. You have your light stuff, your darker stuff, and your middle of the road. It’s kind of treated like this is the playlist. Same thing with the merchandise. This is a brand, a lifestyle.” Wake Brewing hosts live music a few times a year, outside during the summer months. Otherwise, inside music is a constant within their 49-seat indoor bar. They also have outdoor festivals, including 20 artists at a Dark Market in September 2024, with several vintage and repurpose vendors. From homefront to storefront Justen is the main brewer for the craft brewery, and started making his own beers at home for 10 years before they started Wake. “We were basically playing in bands and touring, and got a taste for craft beer,” Jason says. They got involved in local beer clubs to get more educated in homebrewing. At the time, Jason worked for Rock Island Brewing Company. “At the time, I got to see the wave of imports and craft beer,” Jason says. “Before, craft beer was just considered imports – Foster’s and Guinness, and the regional stuff like Leinenkugel’s, Sierra Nevada. Working at Rock Island Brewing Company opened my eyes to the market of actual craft beer. I wanted to see our own beer within the business. Seeing the market looked well in this area for supporting craft breweries.” When the Parris brothers planned Wake Brewing, there were just four craft breweries in the Quad Cities: Front Street, Bent River, Blue Cat and Radicle Effect. Today, the region boasts about 20, and are marketed by Visit Quad Cities in the QC Ale Trail. “It just shows you, holy moly,” Jason says. “I think it helps us. It helps educate the common person to give craft beer a try. Before, you were just competing against neighborhood bars. Now, we all feed off each other. It’s obvious that the market is a lot bigger with craft beer drinkers than it was in 1995. It’s changed quite a bit.” Wake Brewing has always tried to create a brand and niche that wasn’t being served in this area. The number of craft breweries nationwide more than doubled just from 2015 to 2023. The building previously housed Stecker Graphics. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the business had to pivot its operations, transitioning to outdoor and to-go services. They transformed the former parking lot into expanded outdoor seating, which has remained ever since. “That’s really what helped us survive,” Jason says. “We made the right call, and it’s working. This was a do-or-die situation, and now it’s clear, ‘This is never gonna be a parking lot again’.” Over 18 months, they managed to maintain their pre-pandemic sales, largely through their to-go orders and product packaging. Wake Brewing has collaborated with other businesses, particularly in their canning and manufacturing efforts, which have bolstered their presence in the region. Collaborations include with Adventurous Brewing in Bettendorf and Reunion in Iowa City. Wake has benefitted from several loans from Bridge Investment Community Development Corporation. “The thing about working with Bridge Investment is that they helped us get creative and fill in gaps,” Jason says. “They connected the dots between different financial institutions and provided critical buffers during that first year. Bridge Investment also provided guidance on TIF funding, various grants, and strategies to maximize these resources.” Bridge was invaluable during COVID shutdowns. “They took the chance and provided us with loans that met our needs,” Jason says, noting one small business loan helped fund a canning machine. “That helped save Wake and keep it afloat.” “Before COVID, we were able to can one can at a time,” he explains. “When 99 percent of all your product suddenly needs to be to-go, you can’t do it one at a time.” “What we like about Bridge is the human aspect – you can actually call and talk to people, and they care,” Jason says. “They consistently pointed us in the right direction for support, far beyond loans to help facilitate the success of Wake. They’re a valuable resource,” Justen adds. “There’s a genuine care from Bridge Investment -- you can tell they believe in the community and want to see it thrive,” Jason says. Wake Brewing’s products are distributed throughout Iowa and Illinois, as well as in Philadelphia. Jason also mentions that they previously sold in Chicago, Denver and California. Both brothers maintain full-time jobs outside of the business, and Wake employs about a dozen people. For more information, visit https://wakebrewing.com/. |
Picture taken of Wake Brewing before COVID-19 pandemic.
Outdoor seating that was forced call made due to COVID-19, and continues to be a successful add on, becoming a permanent main stay. Photo courtesy of Wake Brewing Facebook page.
"We appreciate the human aspect of Bridge Investment– you can actually call and talk to people who genuinely care. They consistently guided us toward the right support, extending far beyond loans to help facilitate Wake's success. Bridge Investment has been an invaluable resource." - Justen Parris & Jason Parris, owners of Wake Brewing |
“"The thing about working with Bridge Investment is that they helped us get creative and fill in gaps. They connected the dots between different financial institutions and provided critical buffers during that first year. Bridge Investment also guided us on TIF funding, various grants, and strategies to maximize these resources, which was invaluable during the COVID shutdowns. They took the chance and provided us with loans tailored to our needs—one small business loan even helped fund a canning machine. That support helped save Wake and keep it afloat."
