Better digs, less money

Posted By: Sara Sindelar

After 19 years in business, Jane Hancock and her husband decided that relocating the Maritime Pacific Brewing Company, a microbrewery and restaurant in Seattle's Ballard District, was a gamble they were ready to make.

"It used to be sort of a sleepy sort of town -- we are right by the water here," says Hancock, whose business moved a few blocks away. "All of a sudden it became chi-chi."

When the recession hit, the Hancocks had to stay optimistic that they would still be able to fill seats in a bigger space. The relocation was pricey: They invested in reconstructing the restaurant, equipping a larger brewery, and shutting down for weeks.

"We had to take it on faith that we will continue to have a popular product, and that this downtime isn't going to hurt us," Hancock says about the decision.


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