Longtime Beacon-based business, Drink More Good (DMG), is leaving Beacon. The spacious storefront next to Towne Crier Cafe and Oak Vino, is for rent. Oak Vino had been for sale prior to the pandemic, and all through the pandemic, and continues to be (but has had tasty nibbles…our sources say it may be selling soon). Announcement to come on what that space will become, or if it stays the same.
Jason started as a bartender and mixologist, and began his bottled syrups company with a big vision and a g-chat message (gmail chat…back in the olden days) with an early investor. The brand More Good earned shelf space on several retail stores including Whole Foods, Key Foods, and several boutiques across the country. Jason’s businesses endeavors continued to expand, as he partnered locally with businesses including Ella’s Bellas, Story Screen, and even the Roosevelt Bar in HV Food Hall, as well as other brands in New York and elsewhere. Generosity-wise, his business has always given a portion to Generosity.org, an organization that brings clean water to people who don’t have access to it.
The Expansions Started In Beacon
We first wrote about the syrup company, More Good, when they were moving out of their 500 square foot space on Main Street in the little space across from Homespun, that was used by Homespun for their catering, and shared with More Good (the space is now up for rent) to go further down the street to what has been More Good’s long-running location at 383 Main Street. That location opened with 2,000 square feet as a tea shop with a commissary kitchen in the back. Owner Jason Schuler’s syrup business was growing, and he was using the space to bottle the sweet stuff.
“I took the risk with that expansion because I needed more production space, and I saw a value add for the community as a resource for accessible organic herbs and spices and teas,” Jason told ALBB for this article. “We also opened our doors to other local food and beverage entrepreneurs to help with overhead, and to fulfill the need for a commissary kitchen in our area. We knew there was one because we needed it and it wasn't available.”
While keeping the Beacon tea storefront, he outgrew the space for bottling his own brand, and expanded again into the Old East Fishkill IBM building in 2017. According to a feature in The Valley Table, the new space enabled Jason to take on more bottling clients, where he was “co-packing,” where he assisted other entrepreneurial companies with ordering, manufacturing and fulfillment.
From The Valley Table’s article: “Schuler was producing his own products as well as those of 8 other emerging beverage companies in a 10,000-square-foot space in the former IBM complex in East Fishkill. Early in 2019, the company, in the midst of its first major capital drive, began planning to expand to 27,000 square feet and increasing its production capacity to more than 10,000 gallons per day, up from its current production of 5,000 gallons per week.”
Local insurance agency, Antalek and Moore, produced a client-feature video about More Good, where you can see parts of the build-out of the IBM location.
The expansion was a success, and outgrew itself in a way where one of the co-packers bought the facility. Says Jason to ALBB for this article: “We opened that space in October of 2018 and immediately saw massive growth in our manufacturing business, so much so that our resources were focused on growing that side of the business instead of the syrup or retail side of the business. It was an exciting opportunity and relentlessly difficult. At one point we had over 30 employees and were producing for 10+ companies across several product categories. In 2019 one of our clients realized massive growth, and we wound up selling our manufacturing side of the business to them and vertically integrating our Hopewell facility with their business.”
Jason went on to work full time for that company, and his wife, Morganne Frazier, a pilates instructor and gym owner of Warwick Pilates Gymnasium, took over operations at More Good.
The Pandemic And The Beacon Storefront
“COVID decimated the DMG business, and forced us to rethink and restrategize our entire business plan,” Jason told ALBB. “Evolve or die, they say. Morganne has been rebuilding the vision for DMG ever since. Unfortunately, with the way the economy has panned out, the retail store and commissary is no longer a financially viable option for DMG to sustain. It served its purpose for the company, and I hope for the community too. I built that place with my bare hands and next to no money, literally. There were many days where I didn't know how we would survive to the next, but we did, and we built something beautiful out of it.”
New directions for the syrup company seem like they are revisiting their roots, and tapping into the creative side again, rummaging around in smaller spaces and dirt of the earth, as Jason and Morganne have move out to Warwick, and the syrup shop will once again share a space with another retail business.
”DMG will live on as a brand as Morganne continues to restructure the organization to be focused on online sales and the DTC business, our wholesale business for distribution, as well as reopening a small 300 sq ft shop in a shared space with her Pilates studio in Warwick,” Jason tells ALBB.
“Earlier this year, we also invested in a 1948 Chevy Pickup truck that we converted into a farmstand and Cocktail truck for special events and weddings. COVID has put our big plans to rest on that for a while, but we will be utilizing it as we see opportunity to do so.” Each year, Jason has hosted or co-hosted a fundraiser, and this pandemic year is no exception. A Trunk or Treat 2020 is planned at their new farm, Goodmaker Acres in Warwick, NY, with all proceeds going to Generosity.org.
Meanwhile…
Jason and Morganne are working on a homestead project on their 7 acre farm in Warwick, called Goodmaker Acres. “It will be our next passion project over the next 3-5 years as we build it up to be a sustainably farmed practice that supports the DMG business by growing our own seasonal produce. We will be opening that property up to the public for Upick orchards and berry patches as well. More to come on that as we are in just the beginning planning phases.”
Anybody who watched Jason’s early Instagram photos after he moved into the 383 Main Street space could see how much he enjoyed working with and crushing the ingredients that went into the syrups. The brand leaving Beacon is a loss of a vibe locally, but the beat goes on elsewhere in the world, and Beacon will continue to feel it.
Wishing Jason and Morganne the very best as they expand their family and businesses!
