Rob Theodosiou (BES ’99) is president of the popular brewery/pub Abe Erb Brewing Co. and coffee roaster hotspot, Settlement Co. located on King Street in uptown Waterloo with plans to expand both locations to the Communitech hub in Kitchener later this fall.
Bringing craft beer and artisanal coffee to the local community wasn’t always the plan for this former teacher and private school founder who first broke into the food and beverage industry by bringing the first Cora’s franchise to Waterloo.
Alumni Relations caught up with Rob to talk about his journey.
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Congratulations on expanding to a third location in the Communitech Hub. What can customers expect from this new location?
Guests will be able to experience a synergy between technology and manufacturing at both the new Abe Erb Brewing Co. and Settlement Co. We plan to combine authenticity, design, and provenance with a ton of community engagement both in regards to our products and service. We will also be launching our craft beers at the LCBO this summer and offering a new catering service, cold brew coffee and more wholesale coffee beans. We have a lot on the go!
Being a teacher and owner of the private education institute the Ryerson Academy, why did you decide to venture into the food and beverage industry bringing Cora’s to the region?
I could no longer bury my entrepreneurial DNA. I always had this big goal of building something great. My ambition first led me to create the Ryerson Academy private school. I later grew the school to three locations and over 400 kids before selling the business in 2006. After the success of the Ryerson Academy, I wanted to stretch my entrepreneurial muscles in another direction and broke into the food industry by bringing the first Cora’s to Waterloo.
After managing the Cora’s franchise for 4 years, why did you decide to venture out on your own and open Abe Erb Brewing Co. and then later Settlement Co.?
I owned and co-operated Cora’s just shy of four years and after trying to put my brain and energy on pause through travelling after selling the franchise, my travels and experiences led me to the equation, brewery plus hospitality equals brew pub and roasting plus café equals social house. This equation was the driver behind wanting to create the ultimate social experience for guests by opening my own brewery/pub and coffee roaster which led to Abe Erb Co. and Settlement Co.
I love the standard our team has set in regards to guest experience, we have added so much manufacturing and design to our locations that it was time to expand beyond one store on King street. We want to be the leaders in the brew pub and coffee social experience.
What makes Abe Erb Brewing and Settlement Co. different from the other places located on King street in Waterloo?
Everyone involved with our two locations are local people who grew up here all their lives! We even named Abe Erb after one of Waterloo region’s founding fathers, Abraham Erb.
I also don’t know too many places in Ontario that you can actually see the item you are about to drink being made right in front of you in the same process it was done 50 to 60 years ago. At Abe Erb, you get to see the ale and lager manufacturing process being done right in the brewery/pub while you enjoy your beer.
What does a typical work day look like for you juggling all of your establishments?
There is no punch in or out when you’re an entrepreneur but I have never felt like I was going to work every day. My wife always asks me how does it feel never having to set your alarm clock? I tell her people who work set their alarms, it doesn’t really feel like work for me. I do whatever it takes every single day to make the company great, good is not acceptable. I owe it to our staff and guests, to wake up every day and figure out how to do better than I did yesterday.
Any advice for young graduates looking to break into a similar field?
Leaders display a workmanlike diligence, more plow horse than show horse!
