“I personally will avoid bars that have live music, unless I am going out specifically to hear live music.” That’s the beginning of what Scott Rudich says when asked about the impetus behind his company’s music venue The Underground. It’s a place for people who want great beer and a growing music scene.
Scott is one of the founders and owners of Round Guys Brewing Company. In total, Round Guys has three locations north of Philadelphia (one in Glenside and two in Lansdale) and, just like the variety of beers they brew up, each location has its own distinctive charm. The trio consists of an ale house, a music venue and a brewpub.
“Glenside is more food focused. It has a larger menu with more variety. It’s a cozier atmosphere — very warm and inviting, with a large U-shaped bar,” Scott pointed out. “I wish we had the space to brew there. It would really tie the place together. The Underground is all bar, with light snacks and food trucks. It’s got a cool, speakeasy vibe. The brewpub is like Cheers: Everyone is welcome and is treated like family. The menu is simple but tasty and, like Glenside, made from scratch wherever practical. The only advice I would give new operators/owners is that you will always get unsolicited feedback. Parse out what is useful and listen to your customers.”
Like many brewers, Scott’s passions fuel his endeavors. “The Underground was conceived out of a desire to showcase original artists. The podcast/radio station is an outgrowth of what we love. I started homebrewing with the intent of opening a brewery. It was always my goal.”
While this element of combining business with passion is common in the brewing industry, music venues and podcasts are decidedly less so — at least for now.
So, how does Scott keep up with the podcast?
“My co-founder, Rich [DiLiberto], and I had a podcast back in the day, but we couldn’t keep up with it,” he explained. “My business partner, Bill McGeeney, has run with the new podcast format and we focus on original, local artists and talking beer. We have no real goals other than just to showcase the artists that play at The Underground, and provide intimate talks about beer for our fans.”
And what about the name “Round Guys Brewing Company”? Well, as it turns out, it’s a bit of a double entendre.
“The name started as a joke between myself and the other founder. He said ‘we should call ourselves Two Round Guys.’ We brainstormed for a while and nothing really stuck,” Scott noted. “Our original slogan was ‘Beers for everybody, brewed by nobodies,’ but we got some serious pushback from internal stakeholders so we ditched it. The No Monkey Business slogan came out of a philosophy that ‘Round Guys’ wasn’t necessarily about our ample mid sections — just well-rounded beers. Our beer was not designed to be extreme in any way.”
Scott has sage advice for those interested in opening their own venues. He says, “Go big. Acts that bring in the money need to put a lot of butts in seats. Hire a promoter. Hire someone with a proven track record and connections. The music industry is very different from beer. Unless you’re embedded in the music world, you’ll just book bands with no following looking for a place to play. Invest in a sound system. Get amps, a house drum kit … anything to make it easier and cheaper to hire the bands. Find awesome sound techs. They make a world of difference.”
Scott is closing in on a decade in the professional brewing sector. Time will tell, but it will be interesting to see how Round Guys continues to evolve and grow, and how it may influence other brewers to start adding podcasts and music venues to their repertoires.
The Brewers of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit trade association that brings together leaders of Pennsylvania-based breweries in order to promote and protect the brewing industry in the state. Established in 2011, the Brewers of Pennsylvania serves the consuming public of Pennsylvania by encouraging brand diversity in the market. We believe in the nobility of brewing and hold dear the great traditions and history of Pennsylvania brewing.
Photos: Round Guys Brewing Company
