“Beer is what I’m passionate about.” So says Kraig Torres, owner of the recently opened Hop City Craft Beer & Wine on Atlanta’s Westside. And once you glance around his store, you’ll take him at his word. We recently had a chance to sit down with Kraig and talk shop, next door at the newly opened 5 Seasons Westside.

In addition to industrial-strength racks of craft beer, Hop City features concrete floors, old brick, plenty of windows, homebrewing supplies, and wine. Though we didn’t really notice the wine. So what makes Hop City different from any other package store?

1. Selection. Kraig currently stocks over 1200 different beers. “I have everything worth carrying in Georgia,” Torres says.
2. Organization. Hop City is organized by style, not brand, a novel idea in craft beer. And admittedly, one that will take us a few trips to get used to. On my last trip I remember yelling, “Hey, where is all your other stuff from French Broad?” But it makes sense, according to Torres: “Why wouldn’t you want to shop for beer the same way you shop for wine?” Now when people know about a beer they like and want to try something similar, all they have to do is look around the same section. It’s a way to open people up to new favorite beers.
3. Service. Kraig and his staff are approachable, knowledgeable, and self-proclaimed beer fanatics. They are ready to share their recommendations for both casual and seasoned beer drinkers.
4. Love of beer. There are a lot of little things Hop City does to make sure that their beer is always at its best. Most of them consumers would never notice. For instance, there are no fluorescent lights in the store that might hurt the beer. The windows are UV treated. The store is kept at 70º year-round.

Kraig has been in the Atlanta area for 16 years, and got into craft beer the same way most people do – via car collision repairs. Actually, Kraig has been passionate about beer since he tasted Moosehead as a youngster. Though his road from passion to vocation took a detour through the auto body industry. Torres founded Collision Works Auto Body in Buckhead in 2003 (which he later sold). Before business trips he would research local brewpubs to visit.

But why start a craft beer retailer? The first inkling of the idea came from Kraig’s homebrewing experiences, and things started to click after that. “I’ve been a Green’s customer for years,” says Torres. People see him milling around and would ask him to help them pick out their beer. “It drove me crazy.” Kraig thought there had to be a better way to sell and organize beer, and also thought that Atlanta was ready for it.

Kraig started the business plan for Hop City about a year and a half ago. He was laid off from another auto body shop he had been managing. Losing your job can sometimes be a blessing in disguise, as it gave Kraig the opportunity to focus on what he was truly passionate about. Hence the name “Hop City.” The name was picked from a list of about 100 names, and it makes sense when you hear Kraig talk about his favorite beers: “I like dark, nasty beers and hoppy, hoppy beers.”

And although Hop City is only a couple months old, Kraig has his eye on the horizon. The store surpassed its first month’s sales goals, and Kraig thinks he may have landed on a winning concept. Five years from now, I wouldn’t be surprised if another Hop City popped up somewhere else in Georgia.

Original post: Monday Night Brewery