What happens when the business you planned is not the business you actually build?

In this episode, I talk with Brandon McCraney, owner of Old Raleigh Distillery, about leaving corporate life, chasing whiskey, and opening a distillery during COVID.

Brandon shares how Old Raleigh started as a blending vision, how a change in North Carolina law turned him into a bar owner, and what it was like opening before he could even sell his own whiskey.

We also get into whiskey blending, one-off batches, cask finishes, and why building a bourbon brand takes more than a good product.

If you’ve ever had to pivot because reality wrecked your original plan, this one is worth listening to.

Sometimes the business you survive is the business you were supposed to build.

📌Connect with Brandon McCraney and Olde Raleigh Distillery:📌

Visit: Olde Raleigh Distillery website
Shop: Buy Olde Raleigh whiskey online
Join: Olde Raleigh Whiskey Society
Visit in person: Tasting room in Zebulon, North Carolina
Book: Distillery tour or event space
Follow Brandon: @brandonmccraney on Instagram
Follow Olde Raleigh: @olderaleighdistillery on Instagram

🔴 Start Here🔴

📌 If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone.

Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business.

📢 Join the group here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

🔴Additional resources🔴
Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

Most bars say they do private events.

But most bars do not have a real system for booking them.

In this episode, Chris breaks down why private events are one of the most underused revenue streams in independent bars, especially when slow nights are harder to fill.

He covers what to put on a one-page event inquiry sheet, how to think about food and beverage minimums, when to take deposits, why you should not discount your minimums just to close, and how fast follow-up can make or break the booking.

Because private events are not just “extra business.”

They are pre-sold guests, guaranteed minimums, and revenue you can lock in before the night even starts.

🔴 Start Here🔴

📌 If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone.

Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business.

📢 Join the group here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

🔴Additional resources🔴
Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/

Experience does not always mean someone is a good hire.

In this episode, I talk about why hiring bar staff based on experience alone can backfire.

A resume may tell you they know the job.

But it will not tell you if they are warm, coachable, curious, resilient, or right for your culture.

And that is the part that keeps guests coming back.

We break down what to screen for in interviews, why technical skills are easier to train than genuine hospitality, and how to stop hiring experience just to fire attitude later.

Your next great team member may not have the longest resume.

They may be the person guests actually want to come back for.

🔴 Start Here🔴

📌 If this is something you’re dealing with in your bar, don’t figure it out alone.

Join Bar Business Nation — the free Facebook group for bar owners talking through staff, slow nights, profit leaks, and better ways to run the business.

📢 Join the group here:
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/barbusinessnation

🔴Additional resources🔴
Grab the books “How to Make Top-Shelf Profits in the Bar Business!” and “Menus that Sell” here:
→ https://barbusinesscoach.com/book/