Matt and Rene Greff admittedly had no clue what they were getting into when they opened Arbor Brewing Co. on downtown Ann Arbor’s Washington Street in 1995.

“We were young, we were inexperienced, we were undercapitalized, we didn’t know what we were doing,” said Rene. “We’d never run a restaurant; we went over budget and started out in the hole and just really struggled the first couple of years.”

They struggled so much, in fact, that at one point they even tried to throw in the towel.

“We actually called our attorney and asked him how to file for bankruptcy because things weren’t working out,” said Rene. “He told us because we had signed for everything personally, we had no bankruptcy protection. So unless we wanted to spend the rest of our lives as indentured servants paying a portion of our salaries to everyone we owed money to, we’d better figure out how to make it work.”

From struggling business to success story

Lucky for the Greffs — and lovers of great local beer — they did figure out how to make their brewpub work, and now 15 years later, they’re celebrating their achievements. This past weekend, Arbor hosted an anniversary street party, a gathering of past and present staff members, and a VIP event for investors, Mug Club members, and other supporters.

Among the reasons to celebrate: The success of Arbor beers and the opening in 2006 of sister brewery the Corner in Ypsilanti. Regarding the former, in 2009, Arbor ranked second out of 47 Michigan brewpubs in number of barrels sold, behind only down-the-street Grizzly Peak, according to Michigan Beer Guide.

As for the Corner Brewery, Matt “Old Man” Greff says it’s like trying to choose between one’s children. “We originally wanted to open in Ypsilanti back in 1995, but there was no way we would have gotten investors. Ann Arbor was just a more economically feasible business option. So 11 years after opening the brewpub, we were able to open the Corner and it’s wildly successful, which proves a lot of naysayers wrong.”

He points to the Corner’s original business plan of six full-time employees, which has been far exceeded by the 26 he and Rene, who also live in Ypsilanti, presently employ to brew Arbor beers, bottle them for statewide distribution, run the tap room and kitchen, plan events, and maintain the facilities, including the outdoor beer garden.

“Our success speaks volumes about the support we get from our local community,” said Matt. “Really, I feel like we’re in the best beer community in the country. Hands down, there’s no place I’d rather have a brewery than Ann Arbor, Michigan. There’s no way we could have pulled this off in another city.”

A supportive community

Many in that “best beer community” agree. Steve Krebs, a member of the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild, a local homebrewing club, was one of the dozens of attendees at Saturday’s VIP event.

“Matt and Rene are just great community citizens,” he said. “They have more of a bottom-up vs. a top-down approach to how they interact with the community. They’ve done a tremendous job reaching out, and it comes back to them. I think all the people you see here tonight represent that.”

Bob and Kim Barrett, also of AABG, have a more personal take.

“Matt and Rene give so much back to the beer community,” said Bob. “My best memory of Arbor is getting to brew my beer on the pub system here in 2007 and have it served on tap. I was the runner up Best in Show at that year’s homebrew competition, and Matt liked the beer — an American wheat ale — so much that he told me I had to brew it at Arbor.”

“One year we traveled to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver to help Matt and Rene pour their beer and represent Arbor,” said Kim. “Everyone loved the beer, of course, because it’s great, but we were happy to tell people that the owners are even better than the beer. They’re big-hearted, nice people, and in a time when corporations are everywhere, it’s nice to be able to walk in the door of a place and you know the people behind it.”

Beyond the beer

The Greffs’ community involvement extends well beyond beer, including work on local boards and for charities and organizations who address issues ranging from animal rescue to supporting local food sources.

Nor do patrons need to be homebrewers or hardcore beer geeks to appreciate what Arbor adds to the city’s downtown area. Mike Doolan of Ann Arbor stops by twice a week after racquetball sessions and has been coming regularly for the past 10 years.

“I don’t drink beer at home, but the beer here is well made, the people who work here are great, and it’s a nice place to hang out,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of interesting people here, and from all the places in town I’ve been to that brew beer, I’d say this is the best.”

So, looking back over the past 15 years, has it been worth all the pain and hardship and struggle?

“Our high points are so many and so much greater than our low points that the low points pale in comparison… now that we’re out of them,” laughs Rene.

“It was definitely worth it,” agreed Matt, who can’t resist telling one more story. “I opened my sock drawer the other day and found an old paper from 1997 and it had all of our credit card balances. We had nine credit cards that totaled $87,000, and that’s how we financed the brewpub for several years. When you look at that the day before your 15th anniversary party, it really puts things in perspective.

“This weekend, to see so many people turn out to celebrate what we’ve built, then drive to Ypsilanti with my out-of-town relatives and see the parking lot completely full at the Corner, that’s where we felt like, ‘Hey, we actually did do something that was OK.'”

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his website, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. Email your beer-related thoughts to annarborbeer@gmail.com, follow @dbardallis on Twitter, or join the "All the Brews Fit to Pint" Facebook page.