Talking Trade Ep. 84 - Rob LoBreglio, Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co.

Talking Trade

In the latest edition of “Talking Trade,” Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company co-founder and CEO Rob LoBreglio discusses his experience establishing a craft beer operation in Japan.

“We ended up transplanting the name here, even though it’s in English and we’re in Japan,” LoBreglio said in an on-site interview at the Madison company’s brewery in Sendai within the country’s Miyagi Prefecture. “And you know, now I am happy. I was not sure about that decision, but now it seems like people are reacting well to it. It’s becoming somewhat iconic.”

LoBreglio says fundraising for the brewery’s foray into Japan was a challenge in getting the business off the ground, along with the language barrier and regulatory differences.

He also discusses the rise of craft brewing in Japan in recent years.

“About seven or eight years ago, craft beer in Japan was about 1.5% of the market,” he said, noting that now “it’s increased to somewhere between 3% and 4% … No one thinks it’s going to grow to be 15% of the market like in America, but most people believe that it’s going to at least double up to about 7% or 8% of the market.”

Great Dane produces 16 different beers in Sendai, and LoBreglio says the business needs to “make what’s popular” despite his own background as a traditional lager brewer.

“So we’re kind of trying to fill that void between the light lagers and the IPAs, we’re trying to infill a little bit,” he said.

The discussion also explores the Japanese beer market more broadly, as well as some recent high-profile acquisitions and trends LoBreglio is observing.

Talking Trade is hosted by E.M Wasylik Associates Managing Director Ken Wasylik and M.E. Dey & Co. President and Managing Director Sandi Siegel.