Meet Robby Willey | Co-Founder & Managing Member, The Virginia Beer Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robby Willey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robby, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My business partner and I first meet at university in Williamsburg, VA, and then we both went on to careers in finance. I worked in the Washington, DC area for almost 10 years; and Chris worked in New York & Boston for 5 years. We kept in touch and regularly made the trip back to Williamsburg together as alums. What brought us back so frequently was our love of the community in which we had first met.

At the same time, we had also discovered the world of craft beer here in Williamsburg during our respective senior years at William & Mary. Starting at Williamsburg’s original craft beer bar (The Green Leafe Cafe), and then whenever & wherever we would get together, we would seek out local breweries and the most interesting craft beer retailers to expand our palates. That led to homebrewing, and an avid interest in learning more about the quickly growing craft beer industry.

As we learned more about the brewing industry — and realized that while we enjoyed finance, we didn’t have the passion to make a career of it — we discovered that small, independent breweries were all about community. They were “locals” supported by locals, and in turn they gave back to those communities that supported them. They were job creators, stages for local musicians, supporters of non-profits, and generally fun places for people to meet and share a round of beers & cheers.

One day it clicked: we loved the Williamsburg community that brought us together, and we loved the idea of building a business together that could be a mainstay in its community. One that could be a safe space for all, and one that could give us a sense of purpose (even if it meant more time spent in finance as small business owners). Williamsburg’s beer scene was just starting to grow as the number of breweries grew across the entire state of Virginia…and we wanted to be a part of it.

The idea of doing something together, in a community we loved, in a field we’d fallen in love with, was too good to pass up. In 2012, a law [SB604] was passed in Virginia to allow breweries to serve full-sized beers on site in their taprooms. So in 2012 we decided to make the dream a reality, and Chris made the first move when he and his wife, Erin (also a William & Mary alum), moved back to Williamsburg. In 2014, I followed suit. And in March of 2016, The Virginia Beer Company opened its doors & taps at 401 Second Street.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was a Finance & International Relations double major at the College of William & Mary. My dad was a banker for 50 years, so I always planned to enter the field of finance after graduating in 2005. True to form, in June 2005 I joined a financial consulting firm with a focus on non-profit clientele called Cambridge Associates. Over a 10-year career at C|A, I worked my way up from Associate to Analyst to Operations Manager. As a manager, I especially took pride in mentoring new Associates & Analysts, helping them grow in their roles and pursue their career goals. I also took pride in knowing that our firm did their part to help protect the assets of institutional clients such as universities and non-profit organizations.

I was headquartered in the company’s Arlington, VA office. Not far from where I grew up in Herndon, VA; and a short 3-hour drive down to Williamsburg anytime I wanted to visit my alma mater. I kept in touch with Chris & Erin, who were at W&M through 2007, and always found time to make the trip so we could meet up over a pint of craft beer at the Green Leafe. After Chris began a career in finance at JPMorgan, we both joined an Annual Giving Board at W&M to help the College connect with young alumni and work with other alums to encourage the habit of raising money for scholarships and other community endeavours sponsored by our alma mater.

Chris and I were able to share experiences working for our respective firms, but we were able to use those experiences to give back to William & Mary in both “time & treasure”. Those efforts were paid back in full, because the more time we spent together in Williamsburg, the more chances we had to talk about our shared passion for the craft beer world. Every time we’d return to Williamsburg, we’d share tales of what beers we’d brewed at home and what breweries we’d visited. These visits became a chance to share research and ideas, and led to the formation of our first fledgling business plan.

Fast forward to 2022, and the brewery has been open for almost 7 years! And if not for our careers in finance, I’m not sure we’d have the tools necessary to keep the business running (especially through a pandemic). We apply our ability to manage funds, budget, and forecast on a daily basis. And equally (if not more so) important, being able to effectively manage a team and work with others to build their careers has helped us to create an environment that gives our staff a chance to grow & thrive as they pursue their dreams.

Our business is a “force for good in the form of a brewery”. We try to carry with us our experiences of helping others and giving each & every day we’re open with community partnership, non-profit partners, and a shared passion for beers for all & cheers with all. Our path wasn’t always clear, and we thought we would be open in 2012 or 2014, not 2016. But patience pays off, and relying on each other — and doing our part to get involved in our community early & often — has paid dividends these 7 years later.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Williamsburg is an amazing place to visit! And in which to go to school. And to start a family. And a great spot for a small business! It’s hard to ignore that Chris and I could be poster-children for the Williamsburg experience from school to family to career.

William & Mary is an historic campus, chartered in 1693 (the second such university charter in the country behind only Harvard). It’s a beautiful place to tour (a stop by the Wren Chapel is a must for any history buff) and if you come during fall, a great place to take in a college football game.

From campus, you can access historic Colonial Williamsburg and Merchants Square, full of restaurants and shops. A must while taking a break from the country’s premier living museum is a stop to enjoy a sandwich and a pint of VBC at The Cheese Shop. Make sure to ask for extra House Dressing!

Williamsburg’s history knows no bounds, and you can take a scenic drive on the Colonial Parkway to visit Yorktown’s museum and the Yorktown riverwalk. You must stop at the end of the walk for a plate and a pint of Free Verse at Yorktown Pub, a mainstay on our side of the river.

And you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t also visit the both the historic Jamestown settlement and Jamestown museum to complete the Historic Triangle trifecta.

The culinary scene in Williamsburg is pretty robust for a small town, and you can’t go wrong with any stop along the way. Our brewery is located in The Edge District and you can find Old City Barbeque, Casa Pearl, Shorty’s Diner, Second Street Bistro, Shoofly Dairy Bar, and Cochon on 2nd (to name just a few) within striking distance of VBC’s taproom & beer garden.

And of course, you must enjoy the Williamsburg Tasting Trail! There are multiple breweries including Virginia Beer Co., Alewerks, Billsburg, and Precarious. Plus two distilleries, a winery, and a meadery!

Wrapping everything up with a day at Busch Gardens to ride the rides (and enjoy a VBC brew) makes for a pretty solid week in the ‘Burg. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We like to say that our beers are only as good as the people with whom we share them. That starts with a talented team and extends to our guests, Full-Time Friends Social Club, and the people in our community. Together we’ve worked to create a dynamic environment that welcomes all and reflects the positive spirit of our brewery.

There are many to thank. Our friends & family for encouraging us. Our investors for taking a chance on us. Our teams who make the beer and make the beer drinking experience a memorable one. Our retail partners who tap our recipes and stock their shelves with our cans. But our success all comes down to community.

If not for the Williamsburg community in particular, this dream wouldn’t be a reality. We’ve tried to make sure that we give back what they put in every time someone chooses to join us for a round of beers & cheers…and we hope that the Williamsburg community and anyone anywhere in the world where our brews can be found can be proud of being a part of the VBC Family.

Website: https://virginiabeerco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiabeerco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virginia-beer-co-llc

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VirginiaBeerCo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaBeerCo

Other: https://edgedistrictva.com/