History

In the closing days of 2005, Steven Yarak had an idea — a neighborhood beer bar owned by the community it served. He knew little about either co-operatives or brewpubs, but had a vision of a neighborhood-owned café similar to those he had frequented in Belgium, right here in Austin. Confident in the strength of the idea, Steven publicized the vision on the Internet and with fliers around town. On January 14, 2006, 16 people attended a meeting in an empty lot adjacent to a friend’s house to learn about the Co-op, including a bright young chemist and professionally trained brewer, Jeff Young. An exile from Birmingham, Alabama and their restrictive laws on brewing and beer, Jeff arrived in Austin just a few days prior to the first meeting. He had come in search of a brewpub project, and believed that Black Star should be a brewpub, not just a beer bar. The depth and quality of his home brewing quickly converted everyone to the idea.

Throughout subsequent years, the Co-op focused on laying the foundation as well as growing and educating the membership, while Jeff developed a solid list of beers for the opening of the brewpub.  The business was incorporated in Texas as a co-operative association under the new Business Organizations Code, bylaws were drafted and approved, and an interim Board of Directors was elected.  A large home brewing system was acquired with the first round of membership capital, and the first fundraising event was planned surrounding the Craft Brewers Conference in Austin that April and was a huge success.

The first general meeting of the Co-op was held on November 11, 2006, and at that meeting the membership expressed an interest in a large fundraising event.  The Board completed an effort to realize the final aspect of their foundation as a cooperative: the Workers’ Assembly.  Two part-time staff members were hired to assist in administration and development of the Co-op, and, Beer socials continue as a regular monthly event hosting 300-500 members and are expected to grow in the coming months.

Today, with a lease finalized for an anchor position within Central Austin’s Midtown Commons center adjacent to the Crestview Metro station, a team of architects and graphic designers assembled to lead the build-out, and overwhelming input and support from members regarding their concepts, the “vision” of the Black Star Co-op, the world’s first co-operatively owned and worker self-managed brewpub, is well on its way to becoming a reality by early summer 2010.

Together, the Workers’ Assembly and Board of Directors are now forging ahead together to realize the unique vision of a co-operatively owned brewpub. As the first enterprise of this type, they seek to realize an alternative business model for brewpubs and help expand the cooperative movement into new and innovative areas, both in Austin and around the world.