Throughout the pandemic, alcohol sales rose sharply with people stuck at home. Quickly, places that had to close in-person service were granted temporary permits to sell bottles for pickup and delivery. Now that the world is reopening, though, you’ll have to recapture guests in a new market to maintain brand loyalty. Self-service taprooms are growing more popular for this very reason. The Appeal of Self-Service When restaurants and bars shut down indoor service, they also dev

When foodservice businesses recommenced sit-down service, many started seating guests outside as a creative way to host a crowd without compromising social distance and customer safety. Now that many states are embarking on the next stage of their reopening journeys, more nonessential businesses are reopening. This includes breweries that have been waiting for the chance to serve delicious craft beer again ever since the first wave of COVID-19 hit the U.S. in March. They’re t

Between the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and other widespread disruptions and civil unrest, no doubt 2020 has rocked our view of “normal” for lifetimes to come. The world will operate differently after this year; our priorities have shifted. In the hospitality industry, as with everywhere, new trends will be permanently influenced by the evolving mindsets shaping the world as a whole. Breweries are one such rising trend that’s gotten more popular over the la

As breweries reopen after COVID-19 restrictions lift, they’re working hard to comply with new protocols coming out from local governments while simultaneously transforming their business in a way previously unprecedented for the industry. Fundamentally, it’s a challenge for breweries to adapt to changes that necessitate a limit on in-person interactions when they’ve never had to worry about how to package and deliver goods or how to host services online. However the social la

Two years ago, Luis Castro founded Del Cielo Brewing and it has since become an important member of the craft beer community in Martinez, CA. Before the COVID-19 virus hit the U.S., the brewery had two main revenue channels: selling craft beer in their taproom and delivering to people and businesses all over the Bay Area. During normal operations, 40% of Del Cielo’s online orders were for canned craft beer and the rest were for kegs. Now the ratio is closer to 90% cans and on

Like many other nonessential businesses, breweries around the world closed down earlier this year as COVID-19 restrictions limited nonessential travel and activities for everyone. For the Alnwick Brewery Company, they shut down in March when the U.K. steadily imposed more safety regulations throughout the month. Based in Northumberland, the brewing company had just made around eighty casks of ale, stout and IPA in preparation for oncoming Easter. They usually see a surge in b