Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Malone.
Joel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Bishop Cider was started to make cider better. Commercially-available cider was mainly solely apple and they were all packed with added sugar. My wife, Laura Malone, and I sought to make less-sweet cider that was more diverse in flavor profile and with the utilization of ingredients that we were proud of. Our ciders are all-natural, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and don’t add unnecessary brown or cane sugar. We signed our first lease in February of 2012 in a small 704 sf location in the Bishop Arts District. It finally opened in May 2014 and demand was overwhelming.
We immediately began looking for a second location and opened our Design District facility in late 2015. That location is now our main production facility with 26,000 square feet and it is the home of the Cidercade. The Cidercade is our tasting room with 30 ciders and wines on tap that we make in house. It also has 180+ arcade games that are free to play after the $10 cover charge. It was recently chosen by USA Today as the Top Cider Bar in America.
We are currently constructing Austin and Houston locations that will be open around the end of 2019. Regarding the cider, we started with draft-only ciders and have done many things since. 750ml Champagne bottles, 12oz glass bottles, and finally transitioned to 12oz cans which are primarily what we make today. Our ciders are currently distributed across all of Texas and we will sell about 300,000 gallons in 2019. The real accomplishment- we provide industry-leading pay and benefits to over 40 people and anticipate hiring another 60 by the end of the year.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road of entrepreneurship is never smooth. Countless hurdles in the form of governments, governmental agencies, landlord issues, construction delays, etc. Our first location was projected to open in six months and it took 26 months. We were in our third lease by the time we finally opened. We have also been required by the City of Dallas to put grease traps in both of our locations. I’ve spent $100k on grease traps for wineries that don’t make/sell food or have any byproduct that would need a grease trap. Business ownership isn’t about whether or not you’ll have problems, but rather a test in resiliency. Grit is the main trait that is needed to be an entrepreneur.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Dallas is our home. My wife and I have been in Dallas or the surrounding burbs our entire lives. I went to UTD (BSBA, MBA, & MS) and she went to A&M Commerce (BA in Photography). We didn’t even want to leave for college, or as the annoying people say, for university. Dallas offers it all and is extremely diverse. It is also pro-business if you are a pro-people.
What do I like the least about Dallas?
The yuppies obviously.
Contact Info:
- Address: Bishop Cidercade
2777 Irving Blvd
Dallas, TX 75207Tasting Room
509 N Bishop
Dallas, TX 75208 - Website: BishopCider.com
- Phone: 2143647728
- Email: Apples@bishopcider.com
- Instagram: @bishopcider
- Facebook: Facebook.com/bishopcider
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bishop-cidercade-dallas
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