Mahomes-era Chiefs prove a game-changer for small biz, community alike, says Tom’s Town owner
February 8, 2023 | Channa Steinmetz
Editor’s note: The following is part of a multi-story feature profiling Kansas City small businesses reaping wins thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2023 Super Bowl bid. Click here to read more from this limited series.
Time and time again, the Chiefs organization and team show how they are truly ingrained in the local community, said David Epstein, co-founder of Tom’s Town Distilling Co.
David Epstein, Tom’s Town Distilling Co.
In 2021, Tom’s Town Distilling Co. announced an official partnership with the Chiefs, with the Tom’s Town Botanical Gin becoming the first official gin in the National Football League.
“The Chiefs approached us, and I think that speaks volumes,” Epstein said. “What better way to be a part of the community than to be working with smaller, local brands like Tom’s Town? The partnership has not only helped us in the gin category, but it connected us to a whole new audience through football.”
Tom’s Town gin and canned cocktails are available to purchase for the nearly 80,000 fans at Arrowhead Stadium, Epstein said, noting that the Chiefs impact goes far beyond the stadium.
“What is vastly more important is the stamp of approval from the Chiefs that can be found on our bottles and our labels,” he said, referencing Tom’s Town season gin label designed in the iconic red and gold of the Kansas City Chiefs. “There’s such goodwill for the Chiefs that it has opened up doors for us, even outside of Kansas City.”
Because when a team or brand is successful, others want to be a part of it, Epstein continued.
“It starts with a conversation,” he shared. “People love talking about it. You would think, well, what if they aren’t Chiefs fans? But let’s say we’re entering the Texas market, well the Chiefs have such a dynamic reputation — not just of their success — but they’re beloved. So we’ve rarely had any pushback in other markets.”
Consumers may not immediately see the connection between the partnership of gin and football — but both organizations set out to do the unexpected, Epstein said.
Tom’s Town Distilling Co.
“Tom’s Town is about game-changing spirits, and what has been so fascinating about working with the Chiefs is that they really aren’t like other sports teams,” Epstein explained. “If you watched their last game [against Cincinnati], it’s not like watching other football teams. It is almost like watching a ballet with Mahomes and how they choreograph these games. They are so wildly creative.”
“… For us, every single thing we enter into the market is different,” he continued. “Our gin is not a London Dry; our vodka is made with rye; our bourbons go through an aging process that is very different from most bourbons. We aspire to change the game.”
Click here to shop Tom’s Town online.
Working alongside the Chiefs for the past two years has been a fundamental part of Tom’s Town growth strategy, Epstein said, noting that Tom’s Town is currently distributed to 10 states in the U.S.
“It’ll be fascinating to see — after we win the Super Bowl, how much more progress is made,” Epstein said. “I’m excited for that conversation.”
Featured Business
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Techstars KC demo day: How to build inclusive teams that give first
When Lesa Mitchell first learned she’d be managing director of the inaugural Techstars KC program, she thought to herself, “Wow, I’m going to have the most inclusive program in the world,” she said Thursday at the program’s demo day event. As it turns out, diversity and inclusion can be difficult to apply — even with…
No folly for Techstars KC startups declaring growth at demo day (photo gallery)
Traction, new pilot tests and funding rounds were among the milestones met and revealed by a handful of Techstars KC startups at the accelerator’s inaugural demo day celebration. The 2017 Techstars KC class features a variety of industries — from edtech and artificial intelligence to virtual reality and food. Five of the 10 companies hail from…
Is KC enough for Amazon? Pros and cons
Correction: An earlier version of this story used an incorrect figure for Kansas City streetcar ridership. It has since been corrected to reflect the system’s more than 3 million riders. Kansas City wants Amazon. But does the online retail giant want KC? With only a few days remaining before the deadline to submit proposals for…
Deadlines approach for $100K, $500K co-investment opportunities for MO startups
It’s easy to form an idea. It’s more difficult to take it to market. The Missouri Tech Corporation’s IDEA Funds seek to facilitate the commercialization process for high-tech Missouri technologies, via a variety of co-investment opportunities. The IDEA Funds divide financing into four components that correspond to four stages of growth for entrepreneurs, from pre-investment…