Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Pavlak.
Hi Jill, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Someday is Now: The Story of Minnesota’s First Woman-Owned Microbrewery
Urban Growler Brewing Company opened its doors in St. Paul, Minnesota, in July 2014, founded by Master Brewer Deb Loch and me, Jill Pavlak, co-head honcho. Together, we combined our skills, passions, and competitive drive to create something that mattered: great drinks, amazing food, and a welcoming space for everyone.
We left behind stable, successful careers—Deb in biomedical engineering and project management, me – straight commission sales—to chase a dream that some called crazy. But with a lot of help from equally “crazy” friends, family, and supporters, we made it happen!
So how did Urban Growler come to be? Like many people, we often thought, “There’s got to be something better…” or dreamed, “Someday we want to…” In 2008, we realized as we were sipping on Deb’s homebrew, “Someday is NOW,” and the seed of Urban Growler was planted.
Over the next six years, we immersed ourselves in the industry. We moved to California so Deb could attend the Master Brewers Program at UC Davis. I worked at restaurants and liquor stores. Despite our professional backgrounds and industry experience, 12 banks denied us funding. So, we got creative and spent over a year fundraising through t-shirt sales, founding memberships, and tastings in an empty brick shell—which eventually became our taproom. Our dream finally became a reality on July 14, 2014. It was an emotional milestone. We opened Minnesota’s first women-owned brewery surrounded by family, friends, and hundreds of supporters who had cheered us on from the beginning.
Urban Growler is about more than food and drinks—it’s about connection. Our brewery, restaurant, beer garden, and retail offerings create a space where everyone can gather and enjoy. Deb and our team craft a wide variety of drinks, including classic beers like CowBell Cream Ale, hard seltzer cocktails, and Urban Glow mocktails. Our Plow to Pint series highlights local ingredients and the farmers who grow them, so every sip has a story.
Visit our taproom and restaurant or find Urban Growler® drinks at a local bar, restaurant, or liquor store. And remember…we are… Beer for you.™
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle was definitely getting funded. We went to the banks armed with our industry experience and a national award-winning business plan—yes, it’s true! We entered a competition through Palo Alto Software using their Business Plan Pro software, and we won first runner-up. Our plan was 160 pages of detailed research, projections, and strategy.
And yet, when we walked into banks around the Twin Cities, we got questions like, “How will you girls carry those big heavy bags of grain?” or “How will you manage those late-night hours?” Honestly, it was scary to think that six years of investing time, energy, and money into our dream might not happen because of 12 banks’ short-sightedness.
Thankfully, Pioneer Bank in Mankato, Minnesota, two hours out of the city, read our plan—and said this is a no-brainer. They gave us our loan, and we’ve been loyal to them ever since.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m the visionary at Urban Growler—sounds fancy, doesn’t it? What it means is I focus on the big picture. Along with Deb, we imagine what’s next and work closely with our leadership team to make it happen.
What I’m most proud of is OUR TEAM and what we accomplish together! We tackle challenges head-on (and there are plenty of them!), get creative when things don’t go as planned, and always find a way to make it work—whether that’s brewing beer, crafting hard seltzer cocktails, perfecting a non-alcoholic mocktail, planning our food menu, or distributing our products. The team consistently rises to the occasion, and we have a lot of fun doing it!
What truly sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to being welcoming and inclusive. All people are welcome here—no matter who you are. We live that value in everything we do: our mission, our drinks, our food offerings, and the experiences we create in our taproom and beyond.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think risk is a huge part of growth—personally and professionally. To me, it’s not about being reckless; it’s about weighing your options, making a decision, and going for it. Deb and I always ask ourselves, “Will we regret it if we don’t do this?” If the answer is yes, the next question is, “What’s the worst that could happen?” If we can live with that outcome, then we go full steam ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.urbangrowlerbrewing.com
- Instagram: @urbangrowler
- Facebook: Urban Growler Brewing Company
- Twitter: @UrbanGrowlerMN
