Category: Crisis Response
News and articles pertaining to the pandemic and the economic recovery
News SBA Grant Applications for Restaurant Revitalization Fund Accepted Beginning May 3
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that online application for the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund will be accepted beginning on Monday, May 3, at 12:00pm (EDT). The online application will remain open until funds are exhausted.
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News On-Premise Opening Continues with Bars Back Open in All States
Bars are now allowed to be opened in all 50 states across the country according to the latest Nielsen CGA survey report. 30% of the states are fully open with no restrictions and 66% of the states have capacity limits. 4% of the states, including California, allow only outdoor service.
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News Sierra Nevada and Boston Beer to Reopen Taprooms
While the vast majority of breweries across the country rely heavily on their on-premise brewery taproom for revenue, the large distribution breweries have been focused on the big pivot to meeting the surge in off-premise demand over the last year. Many of the distributing breweries decided to shut down their on-premise sales completely.
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News Pivoting to ‘Total Alcohol’ Gives Milwaukee Brewing Big Boost
It is a concept that has brought big growth to Boston Beer Company – the notion of expanding from a “brewing company” to that of a “beverage company” by expanding production into all areas of beverages such as tea, seltzer, kombucha, spirits and others. And it is not a concept that is limited to national craft brands like Boston Beer.
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News Number of UK Breweries Increases in 2020 Despite the Pandemic
Despite the massive on-premise shutdowns in the UK due to the global pandemic, new data from the accounting firm UHY Hacker Young, using figures from HM Revenue and Customs, has revealed that the number of breweries in the UK actually increased last year.
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News California Ends Meal Requirement for Brewery and Distillery Tasting Rooms
Breweries and distilleries in California will no longer be required to sell meals in conjunction with alcohol sales after a change in mind by the state Department of Public Health. Wineries have been exempt from the meal requirement since summer of last year.
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News $1.9 Trillion Covid-19 Relief Package is Passed by Congress – Includes Grants for Brewing Industry
The House gave final passage today to a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package that includes the American Rescue Plan which includes relief to help the hospitality industry including brewers.
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News California Craft Brewers Association Files Injunction for Same Treatment as Wineries in Reopening Process
The California Craft Brewers Association announced today the filing of a Motion for Preliminary Injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California as the industry continues to fight for equal protection and equitable reopening guidelines from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
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News ‘Rebuild the Guild’ IPA to Raise Money for Arizona Craft Brewers Guild
At least 22 Arizona breweries are participating in a collaboration IPA called Rebuild the Guild to support the Arizona Craft Brewers Guilds. The India Pale Ale is based on Dragoon Brewing Company head brewer Eric Green’s base recipe and sold at each of the participating breweries.
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News Post Pandemic Economic Boom May be Next
It has been a grueling, long hard challenge for many in the hospitality and alcohol beverage industry just to stay alive over the last year. With declining Covid cases and deaths and the vaccine slowly but surely rolling out, many in the industry are asking “what’s next” for the industry and the economy.
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News Popularity of ‘Self-Pour’ Systems Grows During Pandemic
Draft “self-pour” systems, where the customer pours beer from the tap faucet themselves with payment made by a credit card tied to an RFID card that dispenses the beer automatically, have grown popular during the pandemic. The systems are being touted to consumers as less contact with servers and being marketed to retailers as a way to save waste at the faucet. The systems are said to increase profit margin to the retailers by as much as 21% on each keg.
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News OSHA Issues New COVID-19 Workplace Guidance
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued stronger worker safety guidance to help employers and workers implement a COVID-19 protection program and better identify risks which could lead to exposure and contraction, according to a statement from the Brewers Association.
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News Trends for 2021
Continuing our series on trends for the new year, there are some common themes showing up. Business will not go “back to normal” for craft brewers as the pandemic subsides. Certain trends that helped keep breweries alive in the past 12 months have been adopted by consumers, maybe for good.
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News Bart Watson’s Peek at the Industry in 2021
With independent craft brewers projected to be down by roughly 8% in 2020, Bart Watson, economist for the Brewers Association said in an interview with Forbes said he predicts a return to growth in 2021, but not back to the level of growth the industry saw in the pre-pandemic years.
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News On Premise Business Holding Steady
Data from Nielson CGA shows that 50% of consumers have gone out to the on premise for an eating occasion since venues reopened, and 17% for a drink led occasion. This has stayed relatively even for several months now and may indicate an end to the decline in business since the pandemic began in March of last year.
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News Federal Legislation Provides Array of Loans and Grants for Small Businesses
The COVID-19 relief bill, signed on Dec. 27th as a part of a broader legislative package, will provide a variety of relief elements for craft brewers including an additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and grants, Small Business Administration (SBA) Programs and Loan, Employee Retention Tax Credit and others.
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