Big Top Brewing Company

What Big Top Brewing Company does

Big Top Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and full-service restaurant founded in 2014 in Sarasota, Florida, where it was the first craft brewery in the local market. The company's identity is anchored in Sarasota's Ringling Circus heritage, expressed through a circus-themed brand (Big Top name, Cocky mascot) and a proprietary beer portfolio that includes year-round core styles such as R-22 IPA, Finhead Lager, Intercoastal Amber, Hazy Sky Wire NEIPA, Circus City English IPA, Hawaiian Lion Coffee & Coconut Porter, and Conch Republic Key Lime Wheat, supplemented by rotating special-release, sour, and fruited beers and guest taps from partner breweries like Naughty Monk Ale Works.

The business operates from a single, large-scale venue at 3045 Fruitville Commons Blvd, Sarasota — a restaurant, full bar, brewery, and beer garden that opened in March 2024 and was characterized in local press as 'something Sarasota has never seen.' The food program spans beer bites, sandwiches, salads, and wood-fired pizzas, with a signature cocktail list (Tito's Loaded Lemonade, Pink Starburst Martini, Nitro-tini, etc.), a wine list, and a non-alcoholic offering. Online ordering, pickup, and delivery are handled through Popmenu, with Untappd powering the taplist display; no proprietary technology platform is disclosed.

Revenue is generated through three streams: on-premise food and beverage sales (dine-in restaurant and bar), packaged 6-pack beer to-go priced at $12–$14, and a private events and catering program. All sales flow through the Sarasota location, with no disclosed wholesale or distribution business. The company is privately held with no outside funding rounds on record, and is led by a small management team that includes a Chief Commercial Officer (Erin Hada). The customer base is the general public — local residents and tourists — segmented loosely into local craft-beer enthusiasts, sports fans, and food enthusiasts seeking elevated pub fare.

Name

Big Top Brewing Company

Legal name

Big Top Brewing Company

Website

https://bigtopbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Top Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and full-service restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, serving house-brewed beer, a broad food and cocktail menu, packaged 6-packs, and catering/private events from its Fruitville Commons venue to local residents and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery & Brewpub

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Craft beer production
• Brewpub dining
• Craft beer retail
• Event catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue generated from on-site food and beverage consumption at the restaurant and brewery location, including craft beers, signature cocktails, wine, and full food menu.
2. Packaged Beer To-Go: Sale of packaged beer including 6-packs for off-premise consumption.
3. Catering and Private Events: Revenue from catering services and private event bookings at the venue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Big Top Brewing Company operates a craft brewery and full-service restaurant at its Fruitville Commons location in Sarasota, Florida. It produces and sells house-brewed craft beer (year-round core lineup, special releases, and sours/fruited beers) for on-premise consumption and packaged to-go 6-pack sales, alongside a full food menu, signature cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. The company also offers catering and hosts private events at the venue.

Product overview

Big Top Brewing Company is a craft brewery and restaurant offering in Sarasota, Florida. The core product is house-brewed craft beer with seven year-round offerings (core beers including IPAs, lagers, amber, and specialty beers) supplemented by rotating special releases, sours, and fruited beers. The company also operates a full-service restaurant with a diverse food menu spanning beer bites, sandwiches, salads, and wood-fired pizzas, plus a signature cocktail program and wine selection. Additional services include private event hosting and catering. The business operates from its Fruitville Commons location (opened March 2024) and integrates with Popmenu for online ordering and Untappd for taplist management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer (House-Brewed) House-brewed craft beer portfolio including year-round core offerings, seasonal/special releases, and sour/fruited beers, sold on draft at the brewpub and as packaged 6-packs to-go for off-premise consumption. Targeted at craft beer enthusiasts and diners in the Sarasota, FL area.
• Restaurant Food & Bar Service
• Private Events & Catering

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Funky Buddha Brewery: Oakland Park, FL craft brewery known for a broad year-round and special-release lineup, a large taproom, and statewide distribution. Closest peer in terms of beer portfolio breadth, special-release strategy, and Florida taproom-driven revenue mix.
• Motorworks Brewing: Bradenton, FL brewpub (~25 minutes from Sarasota) combining a craft brewery with a full-service restaurant, beer garden, and events venue. Same brewpub-plus-restaurant format, same Florida Gulf Coast geography, and overlaps directly on Big Top's core customer segment.
• Coppertail Brewing Company: Tampa-based independent craft brewery with a taproom, distribution across Florida, and award-winning IPAs/lagers. Closest peer in scale and stage among Tampa Bay craft producers competing for the same wholesale accounts and on-premise taps.
• Naughty Monk Ale Works: Independent Sarasota-area craft brewery whose beers are even listed as guest taps on Big Top's own menu. Operates in the exact same sub-market with a brewpub model and comparable craft beer program.
• 3 Daughters Brewing: St. Petersburg, FL craft brewery that produces beer for retail and on-premise distribution. Their ciders (Raspberry Lemonade, Pineapple) are sold at Big Top, signaling direct distribution overlap and an identical Florida craft-beer production-and-distribution business model.
• Keel Farms: Plant City, FL farm-brewery combining a working farm, brewery, restaurant, taproom, and private events. Very similar brewpub-plus-events format with broader agritourism angle; their sangrias are sold at Big Top, confirming direct distribution overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Bold Rock Hard Cider: National cider producer whose Apple Cider is on Big Top's beverage list. While a different category, it competes for the same on-premise tap handles and guest occasions in Florida.
• Cigar City Brewing: Tampa-based craft brewery acquired by Fireman's charitable beer empire (Oskar Blues/Firestone). A much larger, distribution-led Florida craft incumbent competing for the same regional wholesale shelf space and tap placements.

Regional players

• Shipp Brothers Brewing: Independent brewpub cited in Big Top's own customer review sweepstakes history. Comparable small-market brewpub format in a different region (Newark, OH); useful comparable on the small independent brewpub unit economics even though geographically distant.

Emerging players

• Best Day Brewing: Emerging non-alcoholic craft beer brand whose products are stocked at Big Top. Adjacent rather than competitive, but signals Big Top's positioning on the growing NA/craft crossover and reflects a same-channel partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BigTopBrewCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/BigTopBrewCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-top-brewing-company-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Top Brewing Company