Dan White: Brewing Up a Passion for Franchises

Dan White never owned a restaurant and wasn’t a huge fan of beer, but the serial entrepreneur strongly identified with the passion alive in the craft brew industry and realized its immense potential.

“I saw young, smart entrepreneurs doing something they enjoyed and in my experience people doing something they love don’t behave the same way as people who are just doing a job,” said White, who also appreciated the industry’s collaborative nature. “You don’t see that often.”

These and other reasons drove him to create Growler USA, a brew pub franchise committed to the craft beer concept. While it seems as if franchising and craft beer wouldn’t be the most logical fit, White emphasizes that the brand is committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with local and regional brewers in all sites. Each Growler USA location features nearly 100 taps of craft beer, root beer, kombucha tea and coffee.

Technology is integrated into the business model; programs such as…