‘Lots of loyalty.’ Manatee brewery plans kitchen expansion to mark 5-year anniversary
As is the case with any start-up small business, the launch of Corporate Ladder Brewing Company required a giant leap of faith.
Owner Blake Kleppe lived in one of the new neighborhoods near The Shoppes of Moccasin Wallow, which he saw under construction five years ago at 4935 96th St. E., Palmetto.
In 2018, there wasn’t nearly as much development along Moccasin Wallow Road, but Kleppe thought the new shopping center would be an ideal location for the brewery he envisioned.
Corporate Ladder Brewing was the first business to move into The Shoppes of Moccasin Wallow.
Five years and a pandemic later, Kleppe is planning the company’s anniversary on May 27.
“We have been blessed with some amazing support from the community,” Kleppe said this week.
Corporate Ladder celebrates 5 years
When the pandemic arrived two years after Kleppe opened the business, Corporate Ladder pivoted away from onsite sales to no-contact beer-to-go sales.
“I was absolutely floored by how many people in the community put their order in online and then came to pick them up. To avoid contact, the customer would call up and say, ‘This is Mike. I am here to pick up my order,’ and then we would place their order on the picnic bench outside so there was no physical contact,” said Bryan Boari, a “beertender” and first person hired by Kleppe.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the business continued to grow.
“We were extremely blessed,” Kleppe said. “We were able to retain our employees throughout the pandemic. We saw a lot of loyalty from our customers.”
Brewery plans kitchen expansion
Looking forward, he is planning to add an outdoor kitchen to the brewery’s beer garden which seats 100. Pizza, burgers and salads are some of the proposed offerings for the kitchen, which should open this summer.
A solar sail is planned to cover the beer garden to shield guests from the sun and rain.
Indoors, Corporate Ladder can seat about 50.
Corporate Ladder has doubled its brewing capacity and now produces 1,000 barrels a year, about 31,000 gallons, 99% of which is sold through the store.
The tap beer list includes beers-to-go in crowlers, cans or bottles.
Available are Dessert Station beers: Peach Rings, Worth the Squeeze Cherry Limeade, Raspberry Swirl, Mango Swirl and more, plus IPA beers, lagers and Bock beers. Gluten-free varieties are available.
“From where we were to where we are now, it’s night and day,” brewmaster James Herrholz said. “It’s all trending in the right direction.”
Family business is growing
Kleppe has had a long-time interest in craft brews. His wife, Sheryl Kleppe, gave him a craft brew kit for Christmas in 2010, which helped accelerate his interest.
Previously, Kleppe owned an insurance brokerage and worked as a business analyst for a large telecommunications company.
After the Kleppes’ youngest child entered kindergarten, Sheryl joined the Corporate Brewing staff, handling business matters.
It’s a friends and family operation, the Corporate Brewing staff says, and that includes guests.
“When they come in for the first time, they become regulars and then friends and finally family,” Boari said.
Boari recalls how he was the first person that Kleppe hired at Corporate Brewing.
“I was met by Blake with a very large smile on his face. He wanted to personally let me know I would be the first person he wanted to hire. I was so flattered and excited for this opportunity, he then handed me a beer, I accepted and then we cheered each other,” Boari said.
Corporate Ladder Hours & Info
Corporate Brewing is family and dog friendly.
Beers are constantly changing, so check Corporate Ladder’s web page for the latest.
Hours are 2 to 9 p.m. Monday, 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.
For more information: email info@corporateladderbrewing.com or call 941-479-4799.
