FogHorn August 20 Meeting

He received his MBA and certificate in public management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He holds an AB, magna cum laude, in economics from Harvard College.

We know Lenny and his wife Christine as the founders and owners of the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company and the Mavericks Beer Company. They raised their two daughters here on the Coastside.  They've also been very generous to Rotary and the community for many years.

With all the interesting things this man could obviously speak on (look at the bio--we could have him back every month for a year and not run out of interesting topics), he chose to talk about following the Giants as they toured the nation playing ball.  But wait, let's also talk about craft beer, urban renewal and good food while we're at it.  Definitely something for everyone to enjoy.

Following the team in a car was too ambitious so they flew which gave them plenty of time to really visit cities and experience their hospitality. Since he is in the process of writing a book on interesting civic innovations and being a brewer necessitates checking out craft beers, this was a legitimate business trip!  

Some of the highlights:

• Atlanta Beltway--they removed railroads & turned it into an urban park (the concept came from a grad thesis). It was funded and built.  This innovative project will be in the book.  
• The best craft brewery was in Pittsburg.  It's in an old church, the confessionals are now baths rooms.  The best part is the pews--they now face one another. 
• There is a real connection between craft brews and ball parks.  The way he describes it you see the mutually beneficial relationship.

A few comments on the ballparks they visited:

• A T & T is a great park and his favorite.  
• Oakland is a multi-use stadium, which is not great concept, it's the worst stadium.  
• His second favorite is Pittsburg.  It's on the water and overlooks city. (Sounds familiar.)  
• The Miami ball park was the worst on the trip. It looks like a yacht outside, the food is bad, so is the beer.   
• The best part of Yankee Stadium was the bars.  Same for some of the other Venues. 
• Detroit is undergoing major urban renewal.  One highlight is Quicken--they give employees incentives to say in the area; they also also invest in Detroit. 
• Ball parks attract young baby boomers and generate interest in the downtown core.  
• Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Detroit have boosters who strive to make the place work.  Arts also play a significant part in urban renewal. 
•  

• In response to queries...  How about our community?  We're a different challenge compared to urban renewal.  To attract visitors, there needs to be a reason to come to your community.  Yes, he did come away with a few ideas for the brewery--such as a beer garden!  Shared outside tables, trying something new...  

   

  With respect to where he sees craft breweries going in the future, Lenny reports that new brewers combine business and brewery experience. There is a lot of opportunity, the craft brewing sector is growing at 10% a year despite the fact that overall beer consumption is down. By the way, a craft brewery is defined as making less than six million barrels a year--Sam Adams is no longer a craft brewery.  

   

  When asked to rate fans on things like civility and enthusiasm, he responded that all were polite.  Although the Giants fans can be a bit obnoxious. Miami simply is not a baseball town. 

  Keep an eye out for Lenny's book to be released next yea.