Operators lean local with craft beersOperators lean local with craft beers

A growing number of operators are discovering that the best way to capitalize on craft beer’s popularity nationwide is to tap into offerings right outside their doors.

As the number of U.S. craft breweries skyrockets, so does the opportunity for restaurants to apply the rule of real estate — location, location, location — to their beverage programs. More are partnering with local breweries to create hyper-local beer lists that allow for major pricing power, while placing emphasis on their all-important local ties.

In 2012, 409 U.S. craft breweries opened, an 18-percent increase from a year earlier, according to the Brewers Association, a Boulder, Colo.-based trade group. And sales of craft beers reached $10.2 billion, up from $8.7 billion ...