News Maine Brewery Loses License After Deifying Shutdown Orders

Posted by Tom McCormick

Sunday River Brewing, a craft brewery and restaurant in Maine lost their beer manufacturing license and health department license after deifying state orders for restaurants to stay closed for on-site dining and only provide meals to-go.

Rick Savage, owner of Sunday River said on a Fox News interview the day before that “if people feel comfortable to come in, then come in.” He added that he “encourages all businesses to open. We should have never been shut down in the first place.”

Even after losing his license, Savage threatened to stay open. He was reported in Boston.com as saying “I’m staying open. I’m defying the order with no licenses and they’re going to fine me every day.”

Maine Brewery Loses License After Deifying Shutdown Orders posted in:
Tom McCormick
Tom McCormick

14 Comments on “Maine Brewery Loses License After Deifying Shutdown Orders”

  • DK

    says:

    I hope this brewery goes out of business. Guidance from Federal, State, and Local governments are there for a reason to protect lives. Read what I said – protect lives, I didn’t say livelihoods. I work at a brewery that I haven’t been at for almost 4 weeks now due to the virus and restrictions in our state. Does it suck, yes but I do understand why it’s being done. I swear some people and businesses just want to get noticed or defy authority no matter if it’s harmful to others or themselves. In any crisis, there are going to be winners and losers. The real sad thing is that many of the problems could been avoided if this country and the Fed Gov would have taken this more seriously and quarantined earlier. Had that happened, we might be over the peak by now but no one wants to close anything so it kept lingering and will continue to do so because States want to lift restrictions for $ purposes. For their sake and ours, I hope this doesn’t backfire and cause a second wave of deaths..etc. People just need to chill.

    • Adjoran

      says:

      Spoken like someone who doesn’t have to worry about bills being paid, family being fed, or losing your job, or home, or business. When the state takes private property for public use, which is what they have done with a forced shutdown, the Constitution requires compensation. When is the stae going top pay for what they’ve taken?

      Nobody forces you to go out, Sparky. Stay in Mom’s basement until it’s all over & let the grownups get back to work, mmkay?

      • Bob

        says:

        The problem with this analysis is if you contract the virus and are proven to be Patient Zero you could be, if you survive, held in Civil and Criminal contempt if people die as result of contact with you. Talk about hiding out in the basement with only a vacuum cleaner hose for a ventilator because you are too afraid to seek treatment. Like they used to say. Love it or Leave it.

        • Alvin Mullins

          says:

          How are they going to prove that when the virus has been in the country since at least last Dec.?

    • Alvin Mullins

      says:

      As you said you work at a brewery, you didn’t invest everything you have in it and so that some people in a nursing home don’t die the owner has to declare bankruptcy? I can tell you are probably one of those who won’t go back to work anyway so you can get the $600, I hope you never get hired in this industry.

      As far as Sunday River goes, good on you. Sorry you don’t live in the free parts of the US. BTW, Maine has a very very low death count and infection count. We will name our next beer Sunday River in your honor.

  • Matiss

    says:

    According to some articles, they now have 3 citations, can’t serve alcohol, and because employees fear that they will get sick, they don’t have enough staff to run the kitchen! They are painting lines outside six feet apart to maintain social distancing, but what happens when everyone goes inside? This is one brewery, unless they change their ways, I won’t be patronizing again. They are choosing profit over people’s safety.

    • Alvin Mullins

      says:

      Maine has 1,561 cases and 73 deaths and only 225 hospitalizations. And you are ruining someones livelihood over this? Given that influenza claims a lot more people, why aren’t we closing everything down all winter?

      All the Karens on here don’t come to my brewery. We don’t need you.

  • Gus

    says:

    I agree with Rick, if you feel comfortable, then go in, if not, stay out. Since when do Governor’s have the power to close businesses? I plan on visiting Sunday River Brewery soon and buying merchandise sooner.

  • Doug Steele

    says:

    Interesting typo, making the shutdown order God-like! 🙂

    • Ciderman

      says:

      A whole new meaning to SUNDAY RIVER, eh?

  • Mark S

    says:

    The Government, State and Federal do not have the right to do what they have done. If you want to risk your life, that is your choice. If you choose to stay home in fear, that is your choice. We are told that 1 in 1000 will die from this. I’m not sure that is a true number – look where it is coming from. The rights of 999 should not be taken away for the health or life of the 1.

    • Bob

      says:

      This has been catastrophic for the service industry and not just brewers and their employees. Not catastrophic for beer drinkers. Beer and other commodities can still be served curbside at most locations.Depending on local authorities. This bar owner didn’t even try from what I read here. Your response is laughable. Love it or Leave it.

      • Alvin Mullins

        says:

        That’s great if you can get by on 20% revenues. I know I couldn’t.

        • Bob

          says:

          I hear you. I’m not here just to argue. I really am interested in doing a small startup which is how I ended up on this site. The bottom line here is public safety over day to day business margins. This whole response to corona 19 has been botched at every level and can you imagine the chaos of this had it been a terrorist bio hit. We have taught the world that it is possible to take us down and we had and still have no adequate response over the long haul. The people who don’t have a clue about diseases like this who talk about low exposure rates etc.and Constitutional rights have no regard for themselves or others. All I can say here is it’s time to exit the building. Don’t do what you can to help the situation just whine and complain.

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