Episode at a glance: Mark Bjornstad, co-founder and president of Drekker Brewing and co-founder of Brewhalla in Fargo, North Dakota, shares how a craft brewery grew into a destination with a food market, an event center, and a boutique hotel. He covers Drekker’s bold brand identity, giving back in Fargo, and the research behind Brewhalla. The big takeaway: build a brand that stands on its own, then grow in the direction of your strengths.
Listen to Episode 090 of Behind the Brand
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Episode chapters
- 00:00 Welcome to Behind the Brand
- 01:07 Meet Mark Bjornstad
- 02:02 Create Experiences, Destroy Expectations
- 04:36 Community at the Core
- 07:55 Folkways and the Plains Art Museum
- 09:40 Disco Skeletons and Arts and Crafts Day
- 10:51 Building a Bold Brand Identity
- 14:11 Investing in Brand From Day One
- 15:38 Why Drekker Built Brewhalla
- 20:29 Market Research by Asking Questions
- 24:15 More Dwell Time and Late Nights
- 26:56 NA Drinks That Aren't Beer
- 28:47 Rapid Fire Questions
- 30:57 Where to Find Drekker and Brewhalla
Picture a 14-foot Home Depot skeleton covered head to toe in disco tile. Now picture a warehouse full of props like it, and a team whose favorite day is arts and crafts day. Welcome to Drekker.
On this episode of Behind the Brand, Taylor sat down with Mark Bjornstad, co-founder and president of Drekker Brewing and co-founder of Brewhalla in Fargo, North Dakota. Over 12 years, Drekker has grown from a craft brewery and taproom into a destination with a food market, an event center, and a boutique hotel.
Here’s what Mark shared about building a brand big enough to grow into, and why “it’s going to be hard” is bad advice.
What Is Drekker Brewing's Brand Philosophy?
Drekker’s mantra is to “create experiences and destroy expectations.” Mark boils the brand’s niche down to one line: “We do really ordinary things in extremely extraordinary ways.”
Beer is the craft, and the team loves the science and creativity behind it. The bigger reason the company exists is what happens around the glass. “It’s how you use that glass as a catalyst and what happens around that glass when a few of them get raised together,” Mark said.
Why Did Drekker Skip Naming the Brewery After Fargo?
Drekker’s four founders picked a name tied to neither their hometown nor themselves, because they wanted room to grow. There were no investors, just the four of them.
So they built a full identity from scratch: a persona, a voice, and a look. The goal: people should know something came from Drekker without seeing the name.
The voice is “brash and it’s honest,” Mark said, built to feel like one big inside joke from your group chat. The imagery bucks trends on purpose.
How Does a Brand Bible Keep a Bold Brand Consistent?
A brand bible keeps a bold brand consistent by making the team define the brand, then hold to it. Mark sent Taylor the Drekker brand bible before the interview, and she forwarded it to the Moxie team right away (we’re brand nerds, it’s a whole thing).
Mark says a highly unique brand needs clear focus so it doesn’t go off the rails. Define what you’re creating, then stay true to it over time.
The investment grew with the brand. Drekker started by hiring a local artist they loved to create its beer labels. Today an in-house marketing team handles communications along with brand development and management.
How Does Drekker Give Back to the Fargo Community?
Drekker gives back with its wallet and its space. Mark is a Fargo townie, and he’s clear that the company lives and dies by community support, so feeding that circle is part of the job.
Drekker writes checks, opens its event center to fundraisers and nonprofit galas, and lends its event production team. Mark sits on the board of Folkways, a placemaking nonprofit that Drekker underwrites. The team also supports the Plains Art Museum, the only Smithsonian-designated art museum in North Dakota (hello, disco skeleton gala).
Mark’s description of his hometown is a keeper: Fargo is a 250,000-person town “that wants to act like it’s a 500,000 person town, but kind of forgets that we all grew up as a 50,000 person town.”
Why Did Drekker Grow Experiences Instead of Distribution?
Drekker grew experiences because building a national sales team didn’t fit its strengths at the time. Demand was so high the brewery couldn’t keep up, and the usual playbook meant hiring remote reps in markets across the country.
“We’re about creating experiences,” Mark said, “and we think that there is incredible opportunity to grow the experience.” They picked the path that fit who they already were.
What Is Brewhalla in Fargo?
Brewhalla is Drekker’s Fargo destination, combining a community food and business market, an event center, and a boutique hotel. Mark admits the combo sounds random, but the pieces feed each other.
The dream started the day after the brewery opened. The taproom lives in an 1883 locomotive repair building, with no room left for the food concept the team wanted. Wedding requests kept rolling in, and as one of the top three most visited places in Fargo, Drekker was already acting as the town’s concierge.
Every hotel room has a whole wall covered in a Drekker beer label mural. Guests can add a four-pack, shower bombs, or a cross-stitch project from the market’s shops. On a typical day you’ll see remote workers in the morning, happy hours in the afternoon, and a gala or wedding at night.
How Did Drekker Research Brewhalla?
Drekker researched Brewhalla by visiting places and asking questions. The brewery distributes to 34 states plus the EU, UK, and China, so Mark traveled often, and for about three years he stayed only in boutique hotels.
When COVID hit, Google Maps did the traveling. The hardest part was translating ideas from Denver, New York City, and Chicago into something that fit Fargo.
Then the team started calling market operators. At first they said they were grad students on a project. When they finally admitted they were opening a market, nobody cared, and the doors stayed open. Now Drekker returns the favor. “We’re pretty much an open book,” Mark said.
What's Next for Drekker and Brewhalla?
More dwell time is next. Drekker already has about 20 high-end pinball machines around the building, and Mark is eyeing more physical play, like funky mini golf and active seating.
The hotel has also created demand for a late-night menu in a town Mark calls “pretty sleepy” on weeknights. On the non-alcoholic side, Mark isn’t a fan of NA beer, so Drekker is building a line of creative NA drinks that aren’t beer at all.
Mark's Advice for New Entrepreneurs
In rapid fire, Mark flagged a piece of advice he got as bad advice: “It’s going to be hard.” He wishes someone had explained what hard really means. Some moments have no good option, everything feels terrifying, and you still have to choose. Those moments defined Drekker.
His other lesson: don’t keep making a mistake just because you spent a lot of time or money making it. Cutting your losses and pivoting is smart, he said, and it takes checking your ego.
Tune In and Get Inspired
If you’ve ever wondered how far a brand can stretch, this episode is your road trip to Fargo. Mark shares the full Drekker and Brewhalla story, disco-tiled toilet included.
Listen now, then look at your own brand with fresh eyes. Would people know it’s you without the logo? If not, let’s fix that together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mark Bjornstad?
Mark Bjornstad is the co-founder and president of Drekker Brewing and a co-founder of Brewhalla in Fargo, North Dakota. He started Drekker Brewing with three partners and no outside investors, and the company recently celebrated 12 years.
What is Brewhalla in Fargo?
Brewhalla is Drekker Brewing’s destination in Fargo, North Dakota, with a community food and business market, an event center, and a boutique hotel. Mark Bjornstad says every Brewhalla hotel room has a wall-sized mural of a Drekker beer label.
Why did Drekker Brewing build Brewhalla instead of a national sales team?
When demand for Drekker Brewing beer outpaced supply, Mark Bjornstad and his partners felt building a sales team with remote reps did not fit their strengths at the time. They chose to grow the experience instead, true to Drekker’s mantra to create experiences and destroy expectations.
Is Drekker Brewing making non-alcoholic beer?
No, Mark Bjornstad says Drekker Brewing is developing a line of creative non-alcoholic drinks that are not beer. He believes removing the alcohol hurts beer, so Drekker wants its NA drinks to stand on their own as great products.
