Since the state-wide Phase 2 went into effect, breweries of North Carolina have been able to open with limited capacity. With bars and restaurants remaining shuttered, it was not long before breweries became an essential part of the building, and rebuilding, of pandemic-life community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is like our fun place,\u201d said Alan Flores, 23, a regular who was outside at Incendiary on a Friday night. He and his partner, Adrian, have been going out to breweries since the onset of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this night, Winston-Salem patrons gathered indoors and out. Laughter and bubbly remarks bled together and mixed with the dampened upbeat music played on the speaker. The atmosphere of the place felt familiar and lively\u2014something rare to come by since the pandemic started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI feel like here [at breweries] it\u2019s more alive. There\u2019s more people, there\u2019s a bigger area\u2026\u201d Flores said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The greater space begs the question of safety. Jamie Bartholomaus, President\/CEO of Foothills Brewing on Fourth St. said, \u201cWe think our customers have appreciated our efforts regarding COVID protocols and spacing tables even further than necessary to give them the feeling they\u2019re safe at our establishments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patrons Emily Edwards, 22, and Billy Blue, 23, echoed these sentiments, expressing gratitude for the mask-wearing by the staff members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had signs everywhere for the new \u2018rules\u2019, sanitizer everywhere, everything got extra cleaning and sanitizing,\u201d recalled Chris Straus, the Taproom Manager at Incendiary on N. Patterson Ave. \u201cWe operated with stations at the bar to prevent crowding and our community sized tables were sectioned off. We all definitely had to work a little harder to follow all the guidelines and implement extra cleaning methods. We were so lucky and grateful to have the amount of patio space that we do. Everyone was able to spread out more than 6 feet outside and enjoy the fresh air.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic gave rise to some new patronage at Incendiary. \u201cWhat was amazing is that we gained new customers because there were limited places open. People started stopping in new places they had never been before, and found a “new spot” because they weren’t able to go to their “old spot”.\u201d said Straus. \u201cExperiences like that always make the hard days better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Foothills also drew new customers, among them Edwards, whose table was in good spirits for their food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Foothills also sells its beer wholesale to bars and restaurants, which until March 26, 2021, could only operate at an 11 p.m. curfew. In addition, bars could not serve alcoholic beverages inside until February 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2026lost a lot of draft beer business at the several thousand restaurants and bars that serve our beer in the five states where we distribute,.\u201d Bartholomaus said. As the owner of a brewpub, brewery, and coffee shop, these restrictions put roadblocks in the way of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite both bars and breweries facing imminent losses, the discrepancy between opening time was an extraordinary determinant of income during 2020. Governor Roy Cooper announced the closing of indoor dining facilities, and breweries could not reopen these operations until May 22, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cConsidering that we were almost completely shut down for almost three months, we can’t complain about how the summer went,\u201d said Straus. \u201cOur friends that owned and operated bars were not allowed to open at the same time and we definitely felt for them. We definitely want all of our service industry community to come out on the positive side of this pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of the new circumstances, breweries had to be flexible with their strategies. What was unwavering, however, was the support of the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the shut down, everyone made an effort to support local businesses,\u201d said Straus. \u201cRegulars that made an effort to come down to the taproom and buy cans because that’s all we could sell gave us hope. People pulled together to support local industry people from restaurants that couldn’t open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Likewise, Bartholomaus added, \u201cwe think customers have rallied around us, and all the breweries in town, to help support local craft beer as much as they can. I definitely think local pride has perked up during the pandemic, which of course we are happy to see and maybe wouldn\u2019t have survived without.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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