Top Tank finalist The Brew Bank wants to bring Kansas beers to downtown Topeka pub

Kansas is dotted with small breweries and a group of entrepreneurs wants to bring those brewers together in downtown Topeka, along with Sunflower State-inspired cocktails.

The Brew Bank, a concept from longtime friends Melissa and Dusty Snethen, and Ryan Cavanaugh, would offer 20 Kansas beers from ATM-style self-serve taps. The business venture is among 10 finalists competing for $100,000 and expert advice in Top Tank, a local version of the popular ABC show “Shark Tank.” Contestants are vying for the financial investment and an opportunity to open in an undisclosed downtown location.

The Snethens and Cavanaugh have been interested in self-serve tap technology for a while and with a growing number of Kansas breweries, Cavanaugh said, they saw an opportunity to open a Kansas-based business. Dusty Snethen and Cavanaugh currently operate Yellowbrick Creative, an independent video production company, and Reel Recruiting, a company that makes college athletic recruiting videos. They saw Top Tank as an opportunity to kick-start their bar idea.

“The main thing is we want to bring all the flavors of Kansas beer into one spot,” Dusty Snethen said. “When we go places, we always seem to order the local brew.”

Instead of requesting beer from a bartender, guests at a self-serve pub receive a card similar to a credit card that allows them to dispense a quantity of beer they choose from one of the touchscreen taps. The beer is charged by the ounce with a 32-ounce limit to prevent “overindulgence,” Dusty Snethen said.

At the bar, high-end cocktails would feature Kansas distilled spirits. The group hopes a combination of unique technology and quality products would draw people downtown. As a bonus, they plan to offer discounts to people who bring in receipts from other downtown businesses.

“When we first started looking into this, there was maybe six (self-serve bars) in the country and now there’s closer to 35,” Cavanaugh said. “We would not only be the first in Kansas, but one of the first 50 in the whole country.”

The group estimates the tap would cost about $45,000 and the concept should be profitable within the first few months.

Brew Bank’s concept faces one major hurdle. Current state liquor laws allow self-serve wine, but not beer taps. Cavanaugh said the trio has reached out to local lawmakers to request the law be modified in the upcoming legislative session.

Melissa Snethen said the group had done a lot of research into the self-serve beer tap concept, but writing a business plan that would impress the Top Tank team was a challenge.

“We dug deep and did our leg work,” she said. “I feel very proud.”

The Top Tank judging team, which includes Cody Foster, Jim Klausman, Brent Boles, Mark Ruelle and John Dicus, the five businessmen financially supporting Top Tank, will continue to provide feedback about finalists’ business plans. Greg Schwerdt will donate design work through Schwerdt Design.

Final interviews will occur Feb. 15.