Forest City Brewery makes tough call to shut back down because customers can’t follow simple rules in name of public health

We’ve handed out a lot of props to breweries during the coronavirus pandemic for adjusting so much about their on-premise business to keep their doors open – from the way things are laid out, to customer interactions to flat out inventing new sales channels. But today’s props goes to Forest City Brewing in our backyard of Cleveland for making the even tougher choice of shutting their doors again as a matter of public health.

Bonus: Their Facebook announcement made local news and has been a bit of a public service announcement.

It pains us to inform you that we will be closed to the public as of 7/22/20. We did our very best to do the right thing and protect the health of our employees, our customers and our neighborhood for the past 2 months. Fortunately, none of our employees have tested positive for the virus, and we are not aware of any customers that have tested positive, but, in light of what we have witnessed the past 2 months, and knowing that many of our neighborhood friends in the bar and restaurant industry have shut down due to infected employees, we can no longer take the risk of allowing the public in the building.

We also have had a hard time dealing with people who refuse to wear masks, social distance, or follow the rules set forth by the City of Cleveland and the State of Ohio. It seems that this disturbing trend will continue (see article below). We feel that we owe it to the first responders and healthcare professionals that are our loyal customers, neighbors and friends to do everything we can to stop the spread, and keep them from being completely overwhelmed, much like we are witnessing in Florida, Texas, California and most of the southern states.

We will regroup, and find a way to sell growlers and cans from our building in the very near future. Until then, stay safe Cleveland, we will miss you and see you when it is safe again, and people start acting in a responsible manner.

Man. The shutdown sucked, but reopening – when no progress has been made in mitigating the spread of the virus – also sucks, especially when so much of the burden is just placed in the lap of folks like those at Forest City Brewing. Change everything you do on the fly. Follow our weak state guidelines. Do it all to make less money. Oh, and be safe! But what sucks most is doing all of that just to have customers show up unable to abide by the few rules in place to keep everyone safe — the least burdensome aspect of this entire absurdist hellscape in which we are now living.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Hope others reading this are having better luck with their returning customers. But good on you, Forest City, for doing what you thought best under these trying circumstances.