“Part of our motivation for building this dream was to create a community,” Triton Brewing co-founder David Waldman ’93 says of the Triton Tap Room. “We go to great lengths to get to know our neighbors, our regulars, to give them a sense of belonging. It builds our brand, yes, but it also builds our community.”
Waldman’s past experience and religious heritage also inform his efforts at Triton.
“I have a background in the private club industry, where the number one factor in membership retention is being able to call someone by name, to build a sense of belonging,” Waldman says. “It’s hospitality.”
He recalls the Biblical story of Abraham who, as an adult, welcomes people to his home even though he’s in pain from being circumcised.
“He’s in incredible pain, yet when he sees in the distance three strangers he runs out to greet them, to invite them in. Hospitality is that important—you have to go out and welcome people. And if it’s my industry, I have to do it that much more.”
“I know kids who, when their parents say, where do you want to go, they’ll say, ‘I want to go to Triton for a root beer float.’ That’s music to my ears. I’ve got kids—I know what that means. It’s more than the next generation of consumers—these parents have found with their kids a place everyone can agree on. It’s everyone’s place.”
