Brewed for Success
Starting from scratch and with no knowledge of the brewing industry, K.C. and Savannah McKillip have used hard work, grit and desire to build Backside Brewery into a growing success story.
Story by Don Gilman Photos by Robin Loznak
Backside Brewing sits relatively isolated in a large, transformed former building supply facility one block off busy Diamond Lake Boulevard. But don’t let the unassuming façade and the out building that could double as a farm-machinery barn fool you.
Inside – and, when weather permits, outside as well – the brewery is typically hopping. The sounds — laughter, conversation and often live music – spill out onto Northeast Odell Street, and the smell of brick-oven pizza fills the air.
Since its beginnings eight years ago, Backside Brewery has been a staple of the Umpqua Valley beer crowd and a go-to stop for out-of-towners. Offering 15 beers on tap as well as wine, liquor and a popular brewpub menu, the business is now in full stride. But owners K.C. and Savannah McKillip haven’t forgotten the struggles of the early years, nor the hard work and dedication it took to get to this point.
At the tender age of 23, K.C. was already an entrepreneur who owned multiple businesses. But he also was questioning his future.
“The passion side wasn’t there,” he says. “I started wondering what I could see myself doing that I’d really enjoy. I knew nothing about running a brewery or making beer, but the idea of owning a brewery was really appealing to me.”
Together with a friend, McKillip started learning the craft of beer-making, but admits he was naïve. Initial samples weren’t what he hoped for. Despite the shaky start, he decided to make the leap and, with his other businesses doing well and no family obligations at the time, he could afford to take the chance.
The original idea was to keep it simple, but before long he had purchased the long-vacant former Gerretson’s building and begun to transform it into a into a rustic brewery, pub and event space.
About a year later, he and Savannah began dating. When she first came to the brewery, “It wasn’t even open to the public (inside),” Savannah says. “It was just a little bit of service on the patio and Old Soul Pizza doing the food.”
Soon Savannah was helping out around the bar, a natural role for her. Born and raised in Roseburg, her parents had always owned businesses and instilled in her a strong work ethic. Today, family and work ethic are key traits of the Backside culture, she says.
“K.C.’s mom works here and siblings have worked here, along with lots of cousins and even an uncle,” she says.
For the first two years of their dating life Savannah attempted to juggle her work at the brewery with her career at a local dental clinic.
“It just really started breaking me down,” Savannah says. “K.C. said ‘I think we need you here full time.’ We were very set on our future together, so I felt comfortable making the jump and haven’t looked back.”
Married in January 2017, K.C. and Savannah are busy plotting the future of Backside. In the fall of 2019, an acquaintance suggested to them that a vacant historic building in Sutherlin would make an excellent brewery. But the McKillips weren’t looking to expand. That doesn’t mean they hadn’t talked about the possibility someday.
By the time 2020 rolled around, the McKillips were thinking about it seriously enough to check out the building on Central Avenue, the old Culver’s Deli built in the early 1900s. After driving halfway back to Roseburg in silence, the couple looked at each other.
“I think Backside is a great brand, one to be reckoned with in Oregon. When people talk about must-go-to businesses, I think that’s where Backside Brewery is headed.”
“I said, ‘Are we starting another brewery? What is happening?’” Savannah remembers. “We both had the same feeling.”
“It was too good to say no to,” K.C. adds. “It was perfect.”
The next time they visited, an entourage of the property owners, City of Sutherlin representatives and local realtors joined them to encourage their expansion. The McKillips signed the papers for the new location in February.
Building renovations are currently under way with the new Backside location expected to be open in late 2020.
Family friend and My Coffee owner Heidi Underwood says she has nothing but admiration for the McKillips.
“Those kids are amazing,” she says. “They are seriously two of the hardest-working entrepreneurs in our community. They are full of grit, and I look up to them as mentors even though they’re half my age. They still inspire me. They just get in and get the job done.”
She adds that seeing the McKillips grow from industry neophytes to owners of a second location in less than a decade is the sign of a bright future.
“I think Backside is a great brand, one to be reckoned with in Oregon,” Underwood says. “When people talk about must-go-to businesses, I think that’s where Backside Brewery is headed.”
