Business Spotlight: Stoneface Brewing Company

Stoneface Brewing Company began back in 2014 and has grown into a successful and thriving business with 40 employees right off the Spaulding Turnpike in Newington. If you haven’t stopped in for one of their unique beers and delicious appetizers you may recognize their logo, the flower of the hop plant with the silhouette of the Old Man in the Mountain on the side, from taps in restaurants all over New England. We sat down with owners Erol Moe and Pete Beauregard to ask some questions about their growing business.

1. How did you get started in this business?

Erol: Pete was a home brewer at UNH and got me into the hobby years later. We kept making beer at home and sharing it with friends and people in the industry. It was about turning your hobby into a career.

Pete: Finding a brand that we thought was local and cool was the hardest part We thought the business model could work, but finding the brand took the most effort.

2. Why did you pick Newington as your location?

Erol: We chose Newington by luck, we looked at surrounding towns but couldn’t find an appropriate, accessible space. Portsmouth was an option, but when we expanded our search, Newington popped up.

Pete: I actually drove by on the highway and saw the sign on this building. I decided to check it out and the process went pretty fast, we negotiated quickly.

Erol: It has worked out great being here. The town has helped us expand. We were outgrowing our current spot, and the tenant here was vacating so we went back to the planning board and they were willing to support us.

3. What is unique about your business?

Erol: That’s a hard question to answer.  Our culture and the folks we work with contribute to our uniqueness.  We’ve tried to surround ourselves with like minded people who understand what is important to the two of us. That kind of leaks out into the real world; when you find Stoneface on the shelf you know it’s consistent because that’s something that’s very important to us. Process and quality is paramount, and our culture shows that.

Pete: We make beer we like to drink, and it seems that what we like to drink is what our customers like too.  With a few parts hard work and a few parts good luck, we’ve been fortunate to be able to continue to grow for the past 5 years.

4. What is the biggest goal your company has?

Erol: Sustainability is a big one. Consistent, high quality in everything. We want to be a high quality employer, produce high quality beer, provide a high quality experience, and do it all with high quality people.

5. What is the biggest challenge you face running this company?

Pete: Managing growth expectations. Holding the reins. It’s hard to not give in to the temptation to put your foot on the gas.  Rapid growth comes with lots of challenges and risks.

6. What motivates you to go to work every day?

Erol: We work at a brewery! The people who work here don’t work for us, they work for the brewery. We all do it for the beer and our customers.

7. What is the biggest thing you want people to know about your company?

Erol: That we are here, right off the highway. Come and visit. We don’t advertise. The cool thing about visiting is there is always something in the fridge that is unique. When we do beer releases we don’t publicize more than a day in advance, so locals have a great opportunity to try what’s new.

Pete: We’ve got lots of fun stuff to try at the brewery. Not only do we think we have some tasty beer, but we’ve got a great kitchen staff who puts out some amazing food at a super reasonable price point.

8. To what do you attribute your success?

Erol: Our team really is a huge contributor, and we make products we are proud of.

Stoneface Brewing Company is located at 436 Shattuck Way in Newington. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 am to 8:30 pm. Their website can be visited at: stonefacebrewing.com/