Cheap thrills
Would you like a Bud with those fries sir?

Jim Furbush

The Brew Thru rises out of the sands of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Okay, technically it rises out of the strip malls adjacent to the beach, but nonetheless its siren song of bright day-glo signage atop a white background makes it impossible to not say, “huh?”

The Brew Thru is a drive through convenience store. I mean, yes they technically sell cigarettes and convenience store-type items like Funyuns and Slim Jims. But let’s be real; the Brew Thru’s promise as a drive-through packie is what causes folks to do a double-take, then abruptly pull a quick u-turn.

While vacationing in the Outer Banks, I resisted the lure of the Brew Thru. It looked gimmicky. The idea of being able to pull into a convenience store, order my beer and have it put into my trunk, pay for said purchase and never leave my car seemed too good to be true. The idea of the Brew Thru was perfect, and I resisted because I didn’t want to be let down by the reality of it.

Luckily for me, and I assume many other vacationers from up yonder in the north, the reality of the Brew Thru lives up to its novelty.

I fell in love, so much so, that I called the Brew Thru Corporate Headquarters to find out more about the company. To my surprise, I didn’t get a secretary, but I immediately reached the owner of the company, Philip Foreman. I found Mr. Foreman to be as cool as his company.

With five locations throughout the Outer Banks, the company began in 1977. Foreman bought the company from his father-in-law in 2003.

“A lot of people don’t realize that the most profitable item we sell are our t-shirts. The profit margin on a shirt is much more than a case of beer,” said Foreman.

He explained that his company is similar to the Black Dog Restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard. Sure, people dine there on occasion, but everyone really just wants a Black Dog t-shirt or hat.

I wondered if there was any chance the Brew Thru would be heading to Boston, now that Foreman is in the process of franchising his company. Alas, the furthest north they plan on coming is Maryland and Pennsylvania. However, he wouldn’t rule out coming to Boston, despite the company’s penchant for setting up shop in warm, vacation type places.

“Fifty is the most I’d ever want. We’re looking at places like beach areas and large universities like Chapel Hill,” said Foreman. “Up north, some of those places can be strict on alcoholic licensing even though they’re supposed to be liberal.”

It saddened me to the nth degree that the Brew Thru wouldn’t be setting up shop in a town near me. In fact, I was downright furious, so I made some calls to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) -- who still haven’t returned my calls -- and finally I reached Daniel Pokaski, chairman of the City of Boston Alcoholic Licensing Board.

“The board feels that all these people say we shouldn’t be encouraging drinking and driving,” said Pokaski. “It sends the wrong message to have drive-through liquor stores.”

Pokaski explained that a company such as the Brew Thru would be turned down without hesitation, despite there being no specific law prohibiting a drive-through liquor store in Massachusetts.

“I don’t see it happening anytime in the near future,” he said. “Yes, it depends upon the board members, so if the board members change, you never know. But I can say for certain it wouldn’t happen.”

That stigma is something that Mr. Foreman and his company work diligently to prevent their company from developing.

“Hell no, that’s the last thing I want,” Foreman exclaimed, when I asked him if he thinks the Brew Thru encourages drunk driving. He said his company has never had an ABCC violation in 29 years. I couldn’t check to verify that, as the North Carolina ABCC didn’t return my calls.

He said no store in their right mind would encourage that type of behavior. “Anyone can walk into a store or a bar and then drive away, but it’s harder to drive up drunk or as a minor and get away with that sort of thing,” he said. You should see our wall of shame from all the people we’ve caught.”

In the end, I guess something like the Brew Thru should be a special occasion store -- something you visit on vacation or as a passing fancy. I’ll have to accept that we Puritans up north won’t ever have something so groovy. If it were in Massachusetts, I probably wouldn’t be so enamored with the concept. After all, it’s the idea of the Brew Thru which makes it so damn great in the first place.

Photo and graphics courtesy of the Brew Thru.

Jim Furbush can be reached at jfurbush@theoysteronline.com

03/31/2006   |   Permalink