Close To Home | TALEA Beer, West Village, NYC | Episode 3

How do you grow a neighborhood business across New York City without making every location feel the same?

TALEA Beer brews in Williamsburg and runs taprooms there and in Cobble Hill, Bryant Park, Penn District, the West Village and, most recently, the Upper West Side. For co-CEOs Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland, growth isn’t about copying the same formula from one neighborhood to the next. Each location starts with the block around it.

In Episode 3 of Close to Home, Jason Manningham meets Tara at TALEA Beer’s West Village Taproom to find out what the team looks for when choosing a new location, from foot traffic and natural light to the mix of people who live, work, shop and spend time nearby. Then Tara takes Jason for a walk through the neighborhood and talks about what helps a hospitality business become part of a community rather than simply open in one.

Along the way, Tara shares where she’d put TALEA’s billboard and which TV audience she’d want to reach, then plays a round of Would You Drive for That? Levain Bakery, Lilia, Russ & Daughters, Nathan’s Famous and TALEA itself are all on the line. Hit play above to find out which ones are worth the trip.

For Tara, location is about more than an address. The right block brings together residents, workers, shoppers and visitors, and creates opportunities for nearby businesses to become customers, partners and part of the same neighborhood ecosystem. It’s a real-world example of the idea behind proximity intelligence: understanding how where people live, where businesses operate and what surrounds them can shape business outcomes.

Visit TALEA Beer’s West Village Taproom, learn more at taleabeer.com, and follow along on Instagram at @taleabeer.

Close to Home is a series about local business, community, and the power of proximity.

Previous: Episode 2: OneTwoOne Café, Bed-Stuy

‍