For Alex McKeown, perseverance and preparation are what helped her open Hyperion Brewing Co. at 25 years old.
Two years leading up to the brewery’s grand opening in May 2017, McKeown and her high school classmate were home-brewing beer and testing it with friends and family.
“When you get people bought into the concept you’re doing, it all sort of starts to fall together,” McKeown said.
With no brewing experience, McKeown said her interest in starting a brewery came from a desire to strategize and grow a company.
A former classmate piqued her interest in craft beer, while her dad inspired her entreprenurial streak, teaching her business principles from a young age.
McKeown said she went to Art Walk to poll attendees on whether they would prefer to have a brewery in Murray Hill or Springfield.
“We went home, counted them all up and Springfield won,” she said. Hyperion Brewing is at 1740 N. Main St.
Breweries often struggle with securing bank loans, and McKeown said Hyperion wasn’t able to find one. Just a few years into her professional career, McKeown didn’t have the money to launch a brewery on her own.
“You add age as a factor and the lack of money as a factor and you’re like, how does anyone open one?” McKeown said.
Through a friend, she found Steve and Sheree Schussman who had built and sold Outerwears Racing Accessories in Michigan.
They retired in Jacksonville and were interested in McKeown’s project. They started as silent investors in 2016 and now have a more visible role as co-owners, helping to run the brewery.
Before opening Hyperion, McKeown worked as a stage manager with Cirque du Soleil in South America. Now in addition to her duties at Hyperion, she is a full-time project manager at Sight & Sound Productions.
“I probably couldn’t brew a beer to save my life, but I am really passionate about the business side of it and super passionate about people who are passionate about what they’re doing,” she said.
She hired Matthew Fletcher as the head brewer, letting him create what he wants.
Catering to and listening to customer feedback has been key for the brewery, she said. If customers are buying a beer, they’ll keep selling it. If they’re not, another beer will take its place.
Initially, McKeown said she did not want televisions in the bar so that people could unplug and connect with each other. She quickly realized people want something to watch when they come in, so she added TVs inside.
“The way we’ve grown is by trying not to make the same mistake twice, listening to the customer and giving them what they want,” she said.
“If you don’t listen to them, your business isn’t going to succeed.”
McKeown said she often chats with Legacy Ale Works owner Elizabeth Jacobs. The two bounce business ideas off each other or simply chat.
Jacobs opened Legacy Ale Works in Southside in 2019.
"She’s a mover and shaker and I’m proud of her accomplishments and contributions, both in business and to her community as a whole," Jacobs said. "Women are not generally found in our industry, so to run among the pack, you have to have an extra layer of grit. Alex has that grit and is a great example of women in positions of leadership within our industry."
In her time owning the brewery, McKeown said she’s also been willing to take risks. When the pandemic shut down breweries in March and June, many, including Hyperion, struggled to stay open with to-go sales.
When breweries were allowed to reopen with a food license, McKeown took a chance and invested $10,000 to start serving food. McKeown has “not once” wanted to manage a restaurant, but said the other option would have been to close permanently.
“We’ve done everything we can do and when it’s not working, we’re just losing cash every day,” she said.
“If we go on this path, yeah it’s going to hurt, we’re going to drop money again on (opening a restaurant). We’re basically taking a risk that it’s going to work, but we’ll reopen.”
Hyperion partnered with El Cubano Jax to serve sandwiches and small bites at the bar, which McKeown said has been a success.
She declined to disclose Hyperion Brewing’s revenue.
McKeown, 29, hopes that 2021 is the year Hyperion can thrive.
“Perseverance has been the key,” she said. “We could have given up a hundred times before the pandemic and could give up a hundred more times. Surround yourself with people who are willing to give you good advice, you need a team … I don’t know that many one-person-run businesses who are thriving and doing well just by themselves.”