Today we’d like to introduce you to Don & Tammy Struble.
Hi Don & Tammy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We are what we like to call a “do over marriage”! We “knew” each other from playing the online Scrabble game Words with Friends for a couple years. We didn’t chat much other than a casual “good game, great word” etc. Tammy in Kentucky & Don in Texas. Unbeknownst to each other, we both were in the middle of making a life change by ending our marriages. That is until Don, out of the blue, sent a chat message asking Tammy if she was still married. She said, “funny thing you ask because I’m separated & going through a divorce.” After months of texting & talking on the phone we finally met for the first time in the Austin airport in May 2016. Things were just as good as they seemed from long distance, so fast forward to July 2017 when we were married! We both worked in the high tech corporate world & was not very happy doing so. We decided what we really wanted to do was work for ourselves. They say you should do what you love, so when we looked at our life it was pretty obvious that we both had a love for live music & craft beer. After doing some research and coming up with a business plan we knew this was the leap we needed to take. They say if something doesn’t scare you it’s probably not worth doing. We were frightened! However, we dove in head first. We got several bumps on the noggin through the process… finding funding & a location to name a few, but we persisted because that’s what we do as a team.
In the end, we found the perfect location & maxed out just enough credit cards to bring the dream to life. That’s how The Loose Screw came to be. We always get asked about the name. When we would talk about our idea to some people they would look at us like we had a loose screw. We all have one & sometimes that’s just the path you need to follow. The Loose Screw recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary. We are so grateful, as a baby business, to have made it through the pandemic crisis. We know that wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the love & support from our community of customers! We use the term “customer” lightly. They are more than just customers; they are our family & friends. We have such a great staff & such a wonderful community that we are constantly in awe of how our life is right now. We recently followed another loose screw & sold our house to move into a motorhome full time. We’re excited to see where this venture leads us!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road was anything but smooth! We hit so many roadblocks that there were several times we thought we were going to have to throw in the towel. However, both of us are pretty stubborn, headstrong people, so giving up simply wasn’t an option.
We’ve been impressed with The Loose Screw Craft Beer House and Garden, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Loose Screw is known for its tremendous variety of high quality craft beers, ciders & meads. We would put our beer wall up against any in Central Texas. We taste test & hand select everything that goes up on the wall, whether it’s from our local brewery friends or breweries located worldwide. Our environment is both charming & eclectic. We have a mid-century modern lounge area, as well as, a wonderful outdoor garden space that’s perfect for families, pets & great local live music. We are a relaxing place where every generation can come and have a good time. We leave the pretentiousness of craft beer at the door. In short, we wanted to create a place that we would want to hang out at, and it seems there’s many others that want to hang out there too.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Helping people understand that craft beer is accessible to EVERYONE. Many people are under the impression they don’t like craft beer. We like to tell them they just haven’t found the one they like yet. There are so many styles & varieties that we promise there is something for everyone. That’s why we offer samples of anything you’d like to try. We don’t want to serve somebody a pint that they’re not happy with.
Contact Info:
- Email: Thelooseacrew.taylor@gmail.com
- Instagram: Theloosescrewtaylor
- Facebook: The Loose Screw Craft Beer House & Garden
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