Five Questions with Monday Night Brewing

Since Monday Night Brewing’s first Midtown Atlanta location opened in 2013 followed by its Garage location in 2017, the brewery has attracted many Atlanta residents for its deeply held core values, inviting atmosphere, and delicious beer.

We spoke with Shakia Hollis, Monday Night’s Director of Private Events and Community Engagement, about the story behind the brewery and what makes it such a special place for any gathering.

1. Tell us about Monday Night Brewing — what makes it different from other breweries in Atlanta? What kind of experience would you have upon entering Monday Night?

Our brewery was founded with the idea that “Weekends Are Overrated.” Of course, we love our Saturdays and Sundays, but we also want to make beers that can be enjoyed during the weekday. Our beers are approachable, interesting, and pair well with almost every meal. On top of that, we are innovative and creative. At our Garage location, expect to taste an eclectic mix of beers, ranging from light and delicate sour ales to big barrel-aged stouts.

When you enter one of our taprooms, we want you to experience something unique. It is a casual and cozy environment that’s built for conversation. Whether that means lounging in one of our comfy couches, playing a game of cornhole or gathering with friends around one of our fire pits, we want you to enjoy yourself and unwind.

2. Can you tell us more about your private events business? How many events are usually held per month?

Our private events business has absolutely been one of our favorite surprise successes so far! I say surprise because when we began hosting events at our original location in West Midtown Atlanta, I am not sure we totally felt like people would 100 percent be on board with the idea of getting married at a brewery!

But we have found that our mission of deepening human relationships over great beer has reflected into our private events business very well! We promote an atmosphere of comfort and fun, which is what most of our customers are looking for! Whether it’s a wedding, fundraiser, or corporate event, our private events business is centered around the idea of making intentional connections and celebrations come together over great beer. There are definitely seasons that are more busy than others, but I would say we average between 15-20 events monthly. Lots of weekend events because we love to host a fun wedding! With the addition of our chandelier room at our Garage location in the Historic West End neighborhood, we now have a dedicated space for private events and are looking forward to booking more daytime corporate events.

3. As a brewery, Monday Night is known for its wonderful beer selection. Where does the inspiration come from? What makes it unique?

Like we said before, we want people to be able to enjoy our beers every day, not just the weekend. So we create beers that are approachable to a wide variety of people. Whether that’s the tart and fruity Dr. Robot (raspberry-lemon sour ale), our classically-inspired Slap Fight (India pale ale), or our roasty and toasty Drafty Kilt (scotch ale), we want people to find something they like in our lineup.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t innovate. We encourage our brewing team to come up with new recipes and try them out. Our Hop Hut (at West Midtown) is dedicated to all things hoppy, so you’ll find an assortment of IPA-centric creations. At the Garage, we don’t skimp on innovation either. That means creating some super fruit-forward sour beers — like Practice What You Peach, which used over 800 pounds of fresh Georgia peaches — or some big, bold, barrel-aged wonders (like Stranger Danger, our peanut butter cup imperial stout).

There are no other breweries in the area making as many beers as we are. Last year alone, we created over 100 beers, and we are set to make more this year. So not only will you have a fun and relaxing time at our taprooms, you need to keep coming back — there’s always something new on tap! And we’re not ones to brag, but we have won more awards for our beer than any other brewery in the state.

4. How has Tripleseat helped you manage your private events at Monday Night? What has been the most helpful feature?

Tripleseat has really been a game-changer for us in many ways. Being able to communicate with our clients with ease and efficiency about the details of their events has perhaps been the biggest way. The information submitted through the lead form on our website gets sent to us in an organized and structured way through Tripleseat, which allows us to convert leads with ease and get back to our clients with the exact information that they need to move forward with booking. It not only makes our jobs easier, but it makes the sometimes stressful act of planning an event that much easier on the clients we love!

The reports feature is awesome for me as a director, because it allows me to very easily evaluate our projected events and monthly/yearly budgets! Being able to run custom reports and having the help of the Tripleseat team in doing those has been so helpful for me in making sure we have the information we need to remain a successful events business.

5. As event trends continue to grow and change over time, people are wanting new kinds of experiences for their private events. How does Monday Night plan on accommodating the evolving tastes and interests of the private events industry?

Great question! One of the great things about our event space at The Garage is that the beauty and intentionality of the design of the space is on the walls and the chandeliers on the ceiling. Meaning that the industrial warehouse feel of the space leaves plenty of room for people to dream as big or as small as they want with their decor. We have had events that have brought in draping all the way to the top of our 23-foot ceilings, award ceremony events that have brought in massive stages and lighting, and even events that have brought in alpacas (Yep, not a joke. Very real alpacas.). Essentially, clients that book our venue can cultivate the guest experience they desire for their events because while our space is eclectic, it is electric with intentionality. As trends change so will our clients’ big ideas, and we have the space to accommodate.

Brewery weddings have become fairly common, but from a business perspective, we always want to make sure we are staying on top of changes in venue trends for non-traditional brewery events as well. For example, companies that want a more laid back or fun feel for their events are on the rise. But they still need full audio visual capabilities and the ability to project crystal clear presentations like they would be able to at a more traditional boardroom style venue. We offer full audio visual at the Garage and we are constantly making tweaks to our systems to make sure we can either provide those services, or point them in the direction of a reputable audio visual company to help them out!

Whether it’s in our taproom or our event space, we want to make sure we are attentive to guest requests and market trends. We know this keeps us top of mind for potential event clients and helps us cultivate a brand that cares about the people who decide to spend their time, special moments, and hard-earned money with us!

Interested in learning more about Tripleseat’s customers?

Monday Night Brewing is one of several venues that are featured in the 2020 New Year edition of Tripleseat’s Seated magazine. Read the rest of the issue below, or check out the Seated website.