Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, the dynamic duo behind the Black-owned Crowns & Hops Brewery, have been on a seven-year journey to redefine the craft beer industry. Their mission goes beyond brewing; it’s about community building, social equity, and cultural representation. Located on Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood, California, right across from the iconic Academy Theater, their brewery is set to become a cornerstone of community engagement.
Transforming Community Spaces: More Than Just a Brewery
The 14,400-square-foot establishment, slated to open its doors by the start of the fall football season, is not just a brewery. It’s a multi-faceted community hub featuring a full-service restaurant, an on-site brewery, and a community meeting room. Ashburn and Hunter have designed this space to be a welcoming environment where the neighborhood can gather, connect, and see themselves reflected in their culture.
Community Engagement and Social Inclusion: A Grassroots Approach
While enjoying a cup of hot tea at the adjacent Black and women-owned Sip & Sonder cafe on Market Street, Ashburn opened up about their grassroots approach to community engagement. “We’re delighted to be on the opposite side of Prairie, towards Crenshaw, where they’re not creating as many community places in this neighborhood,” she told L.A. Weekly. The duo has even gone door-to-door as part of their community outreach program, introducing themselves and answering questions from future neighbors.
The 8 Trill Initiative: Empowering Black-Owned Craft Beer Brands
Ashburn and Hunter are also the brains behind the 8 Trill Initiative, a development fund aimed at creating opportunities for Black-owned craft beer brands. This initiative is a modern-day iteration of the Operation Bootstrap movement, which was initiated by Robert Hall and Lou Smith in South L.A. after the Watts Riots in 1965. The fund serves as a catalyst for change, aiming to level the playing field in an industry where less than 1% of breweries are Black-owned.
Cur-8: A Beer with a Cause and a Message
In a groundbreaking collaboration with the award-winning Allagash Brewing Company, Crowns & Hops has introduced Cur-8, a unique beer that debuted this month to coincide with Black History Month. The beer is a fusion of pilsner’s crisp flavor with Allagash Curieux’s whiskey, vanilla, and oak undertones. All proceeds from the sales of these beers will go directly to the 8 Trill Fund, further supporting Black entrepreneurs in the craft beer industry.
A Comprehensive Approach to Business: The Case Study of Crowns & Hops
Hunter, a former soldier at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach to business. “Crowns & Hops is the case study. What we accomplish through our example is developing a curriculum that anyone can use to teach what it means to promote racial equity,” he said. This curriculum aims to address the systemic barriers that have kept people of color out of the brewing industry, from access to capital to industry knowledge.
Building Bridges with Local Authorities: Community Policing and Advocacy
Both Mayor James Butts and Cinder Eller-Kimbell, senior community affairs liaisons for the Inglewood Police Department, have welcomed Crowns & Hops into the community. “There is a lot of work to be done, and we need to be advocates in our profession,” Hunter added, emphasizing the role of businesses in community policing and advocacy. “We’re establishing a focal point for the Black and Brown community,” Ashburn concluded. Hunter, echoing her sentiments in his calming Barry White-like tone, added, “And if that table isn’t big enough, we’ll build a bigger one.”
