Lance Furer

I've spent the last two decades doing pretty much everything there is to do in the food and beverage industry. From running the floor in fast paced restaurants and founding brewery operations, to orchestrating 175 tap draft programs and leading multi-million dollar restaurants and production spaces. At the end of the day, I love the hospitality world because it comes down to two simple things: taking care of people and building a killer guest experience.

My diverse background blends the hands on, high volume operational grind with real business leadership. I thrive at developing cutting edge food and beverage programs, managing P&Ls, negotiating vendor contracts, keeping COGS low, and building tight knit teams that actually enjoy coming to work. I'm looking to bring that balance of high end operational standards, beverage expertise, and genuine, grounded leadership to a new company that I can grow and expand along with.

Head Brewer at Bright Penny Brewing (2022-01 – Present)

• Developed and operated an award winning brewing program, which has been acknowledged by multiple national and state awards, inlcuding The US Open Beer Championships, and the NC Brewers Cup, as well as published in several prestigious publications including Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine.
• Managed strict protocols on brewing and cellaring processes to increase yield and optimize COGS to ensure our highest rate of return per batch.
• Diligently selected world class ingredients, including traveling to the regions these products are grown to be able to hand select every flavor nuance in order to maintain incredibly high quality standards.
• Built a strong, collaborative team dynamic across production and taproom staff, led product and process training and created clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) that made daily operations run smoothly, while improving communication and overall guest experience.
• Worked closely with FOH management to design memorable guest events, product launches, and seasonal offerings that kept repeat customers coming back.
• Created and designed all graphics for packaging, merchandise and logos, inlcuding our entire line of Core, Seasonal and Rotating beers.

Head Brewer at Triangle Beer Co. (2020-01 – 2022-12)

• Facilitated and launched an entirely new brewery taproom, production facility, food truck and rebrand for an existing brewery during the height of the pandemic.
• Handled both incoming and outgoing vendor relationships, including negotiating pricing on both the purchase and sale of entire brewhouse equipment packages.
• Mentored and trained FOH and BOH teams on product knowledge, proper pour standards, and creating genuine connections with guests.

Beverage Director at West Main Taproom + Grill (2019-01 – 2020-12)

• Opened a high-end Gastropub concept that boasted 54 taps, over 100 wines, and an incredible rotating craft cocktail list.
• Curated a dynamic cocktail program that included new age and trendy techniques and flavors, including an expansive in house barrel aged program.
• Implemented training programs for highly skilled and technical bartending, as well as thoughtful and thorough FOH hospitality.
• Developed not only the conceptual content of the menus but also created the physical design of both food and drink menus using graphic design software, i.e. Adobe InDesign and Illustrator etc.

General Manager at Burly Brewing Company (2017-01 – 2019-12)

• Built the operational footprint from the ground up, wearing every hat imaginable, from initial floor layout and staffing to licensing, vendor setup, and full P&L accountability.
• Oversaw daily taproom operations, managing hiring, scheduling, payroll, food truck and live music schedules and hands on staff training to facilitate a sense of knowledge and community amongst our taproom staff.
• Focused heavily on community engagement, curating weekly live events, local food truck partnerships, and private party bookings to drive steady revenue.
• Implemented and ran monthly beer festivals on the property which increased monthly revenue by 20%

Beverage Director at The Pint Room (2015-01 – 2017-12)

• Ran the entire beverage program for a massive, high-volume venue featuring over 175 local draft beers, and curated Craft Cocktail menu
• Built direct relationships with local craft breweries, national distributors, and liquor reps to secure high demand allocations while keeping total beverage costs tight.
• Taught regular staff workshops on draft maintenance, beer styles, sensory evaluation, and food pairings so the service team could speak confidently to guests.
• Kept a close eye on line cleaning schedules, gas blends, and inventory counts to keep waste low and ensure every pint tasted fresh.