What is fair chance business? Meet the woman behind Philadelphia's Triple Bottom Brewery
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Women are breaking barriers in industries often dominated by men, including brewing. The tri-state area is home to several woman-owned breweries, and this week CBS Philadelphia is shining a spotlight on Triple Bottom Brewery in the city's Poplar neighborhood.
"Even though it is a male-dominated industry, it is a place where there are so many people who really want to be inclusive to people of every background and all genders," Triple Bottom Brewery co-owner Tess Hart said.
The brewery is located at 9th and Spring Garden streets in Philadelphia, and it opened in 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My background is actually more in the community and economic development space," Hart said. "And then, I was a brewery lover from the outside of the industry. As I was falling in love with breweries and with craft beer, I realized just how vibrant these community spaces are."
"I think there's a lot of joy in breweries. I think there's a lot of joy and connection. Beer really brings people together, and it felt just like such a beautiful and fertile space to grow from."
They grew from humble beginnings. Hart and her business partners did some of the construction themselves.
Hart's love of brewing and breweries started in 2016 when she went to a brewers' conference.
"Back then, I was just, like, bright-eyed and had this idea," Hart said, "but I hadn't proven that I could do it yet. I remember walking the floor of the sort of expo space and getting a lot of like, 'What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?' And it was pretty demoralizing."
But she pushed forward with her idea and established a brewery focusing on "beer, people and the planet."
Hart's staff is majority women, and she calls the business "fair chance," meaning they hire people who are impacted by the justice system or are housing insecure.
"There's definitely change coming," Hart said. "I think you often hear that line like, 'You can't be what you can't see.' And so, the more of us who are doing it, I think opens up space for other folks of all genders to take a step into this, too."
Hart said for other women looking to break into male-dominated fields to believe in themselves and find allies. She said she's happy to talk to any woman looking to break into the beer industry.