Boy howdy, that was a great beer social! It’s fair to say that was our most successful event for many reasons. If you like stats (and who doesn’t?), here’s the run-down on the event:
Attendance: 885 beer lovers
New Members: 62 total (Joining–31; Invested–31)
Kegs Floated: 8 (in 2.45 hours)
Fun: Turned up to 11!
Needless to say, it was great to see everyone there supporting Black Star. Having the train bring new folks to the future-site-of-the-brewpub was a large part of the success. Each time the new MetroRail pulled in to the Crestview Station, floods of co-op enthusiasts poured into our gates. Thanks to the 30+ volunteers that busted their butts to make sure we had a safe, productive, and fun beer social. Also, big ups to The Original Recipe Band for cranking out some jazzy tunes!
We hope to continue doing events like this while construction is going on, so stay tuned to our website for more information. In the meantime, we’re still seeking investments to finish funding this unique Austin venture. Go Black Star Co-op!
Your Board of Directors is democratically elected by the member-owners and as such is considered to be a reflection of the membership as a whole. Since we as a Board are here to represent you and act on your behalf, we wish to ensure that we are working with your values in mind!
Soon the Board will undertake the modification of our Ends policies, which define in a very general way what the goals of the Co-op should be in the long and/or short term. Ends policies can be related to such things as:
- Environmental considerations—minimizing pounds of waste created per plate of food or gallons of water used per gallon of beer produced, etc.
- The Co-op’s impact on the community—how would we like to make a positive change in the area?
- Our job as a role model to other cooperatives and as a fully-participatory member of the cooperative community
- Member-owner education about cooperative principles and values
- Support for the local economy; providing good jobs for members of the community
Simply put, what do we want to have as a result of all that we do? This question was brought up recently at the Wheatsville Food Co-op’s yearly Board retreat, which I attended as a representative of Black Star (thanks again Wheastville!). While thinking about this question, I decided that this would be an excellent topic to bring up to the membership in an informal way before we tackle the issue in future board meetings.
So, what do you feel passionate about? What do you want the Co-op to pursue? We’d love to hear from you! The comment board is open.
Another video on the first day of service of the MetroRail. This one shows the brewpub location towards the end, and again features Steven and Jeff. Hat tip to Lee Nichols of the Austin Chronicle and his blog I Love Beer.
The Statesman ran a video yesterday about the opening to the MetroRail and transit oriented developments like our home here at Midtown Commons.
Bonus: Steven and Jeff make an appearance toward the end!
As of Monday morning we’ve welcomed 85 new member-owners to the Co-op during our Spring Membership Drive. That leaves just 15 to go toward our goal of 100 by the end of March. Remember, each new member-owner who joins during the membership drive will receive a free mug and keychain bottle opener. Join today!
| March 26, 2010 | ||
| 4:00 PM | to | 7:00 PM |
Yes, you read that correctly. After nearly a year-long hiatus, we’re back with a special Beer Social to celebrate the opening of Capital Metro’s MetroRail. On Friday, March 26th, ride the train to the Crestview Station (it’s free!), enjoy the Beer Social format you know and love, and become a member-owner of the world’s first co-operatively owned brewpub!
If you would like try out the new light rail line, we’ll have organized groups departing from the downtown station (details below!). The Beer Social will run from 4-7 PM. The first northbound train stops at Crestview at 4:05, and the last train leaves at 7:01. Southbound, the last train leaves at 6:05. Of course, you don’t have to ride the train as there’s plenty of surface and garage parking at Midtown Commons.
If you’ve never been to a Beer Social, check out our page on How a Beer Social Works.
See you on the 26th!
Ride the Train!
Join us for a group ride to the Beer Social! We’ll have groups departing the downtown station at 3:45, 4:20, and 4:55. Just look for the Black Star representative on the platform, or if you’re getting on at one of the intermediate stops, board the first car and head toward the front of the train. That’s where our group will be sitting. For more details, consult the full MetroRail train Schedule.
| April 1, 2010 | ||
| 5:00 PM | to | 7:00 PM |
Our offering of Member-Investor Shares is well under way. If you haven’t yet made an investment, now is the time!
A printed prospectus was mailed to all member-owners, and we’re following up with phone calls and emails. However, we always love meeting our member-owners in person and are holding weekly Investment Q&A Forums to talk about the offering, answer questions, and sign contracts (bring your checkbook!).
The Investment Q&A Forums take place each Thursday from 5-7 PM. Please join us for the next forum on April 1st at our development office, which is across the street from the brewpub location at Midtown Commons. For more information, email invest@blackstar.coop or give us a call at (512) 452-BEER.
On our path to website legitimacy, we’re one step closer with our addition of the online store! Your hand will be totally soaked if you try to drink a beer without having it in a container…so buy a mug! Got a head? Put a hat on it! Our shirts are specifically engineered to cover the majority of your torso. Top THAT, tube top! And finally, if you want to have a miniature Black Star Co-op Pub & Brewery at your house, find out how to pre-purchase an original, hand-crafted Black Star beer tap handle!
The Co-op grew by 48 new members during the first week of our Spring Membership Drive! That’s 48 down, 52 to go.
As a reminder, we set a goal to get 100 new member-owners this month and aim to have 2,000 members by the time we the brewpub opens. For the month of March, each new member gets a Black Star Co-op mug and bottle-opener keychain. Let’s keep the momentum going by telling our friends, family, and loved ones to join the Co-op today!
| March 25, 2010 | ||
| 5:00 PM | to | 7:00 PM |
Our offering of Member-Investor Shares is well under way. If you haven’t yet made an investment, now is the time!
A printed prospectus was mailed to all member-owners, and we’re following up with phone calls and emails. However, we always love meeting our member-owners in person and are holding weekly Investment Q&A Forums to talk about the offering, answer questions, and sign contracts (bring your checkbook!).
The Investment Q&A Forums take place each Thursday from 5-7 PM. Please join us for the next forum on March 25th at our development office, which is across the street from the brewpub location at Midtown Commons. For more information, email invest@blackstar.coop or give us a call at (512) 452-BEER.