What a crappy time to be running a service business / community gathering spot. How is a craft brewery supposed to serve customers and keep revenue coming in while keeping the coronavirus out? Since there are no perfect solutions here, we’d like to crowdsource suggestions from all of you. What has your brewery done in response to coronavirus fears? How did it go this weekend? What more are you prepared to do? Let us know ([email protected]) and we will re-share these perspectives on the site.
Our favorite so far is Fibonacci Brewing making use of a drive thru window that their location happened to have but was never utilized, as well as starting local deliveries.
Today we wanted to share this bulleted list Massachusetts-based Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers co-founders (and brothers) Jack, Eric and Sam Hendler posted on their blog. Real solid list of tweaks to hopefully allow for customers to still swing by for a beer but keep some social distance.
We wanted to write to you today to let you know that we are taking the situation with COVID-19 extremely seriously. The safety and health of our staff and our guests is always a top priority only highlighted in situations such as these. Our business is about community and connections which is why we are exercising an abundance of caution and taking extra steps to ensure we have the safest environment possible. Some steps we are taking:
Beginning immediately we are switching from our community seating model to a table seating model. This will allow us to sanitize spaces more thoroughly between guests. The bar will remain open seating and staff will work to keep this area as sanitary as possible.
Our tables will no longer have caddies, menus and silverware buckets. Staff will bring these to you when seated.
All menus, condiments etc. will be sanitized between guests as well.
High touch areas will be cleaned and sanitized on schedule throughout the day, in addition to deep cleaning on a nightly basis.
Tours are being suspended until further notice.
Our staff already does an extraordinary job cleaning the environment at the end of each day and we will continue to uphold the highest standards in our space.
We hope these steps bring you some comfort and assurance of our effort to keep you happy and healthy. Similarly, we ask all of our patrons to be extra responsible as well. If you are even slightly ill or worried about being in contact with someone who is then please exercise the same caution and avoid coming to the brewery.
We believe during these challenging times that relaxing with friends and a beer is an important social and mental activity, and we believe it’s incumbent upon us to continue to provide this to our friends in the safest way possible. Our staff is going above and beyond all recommendations to ensure the health and safety of everyone we engage with on a daily basis.
UPDATE (March 16, 1 p.m.): As well thoughout as this is, there’s only so much that can be done. The Jack’s team let us know today that Massachusetts officials have made the decision in the interest of public health to require all bars and restaurants to close of on-premise consumption until April 17. The same happened here in Ohio (CBB’s home).
“We did make several proactive efforts to keep both our staff and guests safe, but in compliance with this law, we will be closing the Jack’s Abby Beer Hall immediately and completing our plans to offer delivery and pickup services,” notes Kat Leggett, PR and events manager.
Sara Wanner says
Atlas brewery in dc has allowed canned beer to go for 2 hours per day. I think bottles to go would be similar. No growlers, etc.
John Wanner says
They’re all going to be closed very soon as the state governments take charge and realize what they have to do to protect everyone. Everyone needs to accept that. Everything is going to be on pause for a time.