Levante Brewing has seen remarkable evolution since its inception. As noted in the latest cover story for Brewer Mag, the West Chester, Pennsylvania company has looked to position itself as a dynamic and adaptive player. Co-founder Tim Floros, who spoke with Brewer last year, credits this growth to deliberate strategy shifts and a willingness to embrace change.
Floros shared that Levante’s journey from a brewery with a loose branding approach to a more polished operation demonstrates a maturity that many in the industry can aim to emulate. It means combining a commitment to consistent messaging with a finger on the pulse of consumer trends, and Levante has crafted a path that others might look to follow.
“In this industry, you can’t get stuck in your ways,” Floros said. “The moment you do, you’re done.”
The brewery began in 2015 and has grown to be a regional player in the greater Philadelphia area, largely due to its Hazy IPA, Cloudy & Cumbersome.
“We didn’t really become a cohesive, intentional branding and marketing company until 2020,” Floros said. “Maybe it was late 2019, but we started realizing we needed to be consistent across the board.
“Our core IPA had to deliver on customer expectations, but that consistency had to extend beyond the product to our tap handles, signage, logos, and social media voice. It was about creating a unified brand identity.”
This shift required a restructuring of Levante’s marketing efforts. Initially, the brewery’s first marketing manager, a former brewhouse intern with a background in photography and marketing, laid the groundwork. Amanda Floros, Tim’s wife, brought her expertise from the corporate marketing world to refine Levante’s branding and outreach further.
“We knew it was time to professionalize,” Floros said. “Consistency in our messaging and visuals was essential as we grew. It wasn’t just about making good beer anymore; it was about presenting it in a way that resonated with our audience.”
Levante’s commitment to evolution wasn’t limited to branding. The brewery has also demonstrated a keen eye for industry trends, ensuring its relevance in a competitive market. “Sometimes you don’t see trends until they bite you,” Floros said. “We learned this the hard way during the peak of the ‘line life’ craze when people would queue up for weekly beer releases. It worked for a while, but then we noticed diminishing returns.
“We adjusted by reducing the frequency of releases and leaned on the direct interaction the taproom allows.”
The taproom’s role in Levante’s adaptability cannot be overstated.
“Having a taproom enables us to interact directly with consumers,” Floros said. “We’re constantly asking them, ‘What do you want to see from us?’ Whether it’s reviving an old recipe or creating something entirely new, that feedback is invaluable. We also use our point-of-sale system to track what styles are trending, like the growing demand for West Coast IPAs and Lagers.”
READ MORE: Organizational Maturation—Why Tim Floros Wanted a Board of Directors for Levante
Levante pairs this grassroots data collection with formalized research. Floros said they conduct quarterly board meetings to analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
“This helps guide our R&D investments and ensure they align with market trends,” he said. “We’ve always been an R&D-driven company, but now we’ve found a way to turn that into a sustainable business model.”
This dual approach of harnessing real-time consumer insights and strategic analysis has allowed Levante to maintain its edge. Floros said it’s important to stay ahead.
“You’ve got to focus on trends. It’s about more than survival — it’s about thriving,” he said. “The adaptability that our taproom and branding strategy provide is what keeps us relevant.”
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