When The Virginia Beer Firm’s administration staff made the chief determination on 3/16/2020 to shut their taproom and shift completely to curbside to-go operations, there was no precedent for the way to plan for the way forward for the enterprise. However one focus remained clear: do the whole lot potential to maintain each member of the Virginia Beer Co. staff on the payroll.
“As soon as we received curbside takeaway operations established, our subsequent focus was on popping out with as many can releases as potential to maintain the ‘brew-thru’ refreshed. Our brewers had a lot to do on that entrance, however curbside ops didn’t demand as many hours for our front-of-house crew,” displays Virginia Beer Co. Taproom Supervisor & Enterprise Developer Luci Legaspi. “We needed to brainstorm the way to preserve our staff’s hours up with out a taproom – so deep cleans, enchancment tasks, and renovations grew to become an enormous a part of our weekly routines.”
What began as an inner effort using the skillsets of varied Taproom Crew members has become an entire overhaul of The Virginia Beer Firm’s 10,000 sq. ft. area. From rejuvenating tables and chairs with recent finishes to constructing new wood stage platforms for future dwell performances, and erecting fixtures to string lights within the beer backyard, the Virginia Beer Co. staff labored collectively to start touching up usually bustling taproom & beer backyard areas that have been abruptly closed to the general public.
“Our rationale was that not solely did we need to preserve our groups busy & engaged, however we wished to verify our brewery expertise was even higher than our company remembered when it was protected to host them once more,” feedback Virginia Beer Co. Co-Founder Robby Willey. “Our constructing was in-built 1960 and the brewery opened in 2016, so this was nearly as good a time as any to reinvest in our residence.”
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As do-it-yourself tasks have been accomplished and the environment allowed for restricted on-premise service within the brewery’s 2,000 sq. ft. beer backyard, The Virginia Beer Firm’s administration staff determined to maintain ongoing renovations as a significant focus. So long as restricted service of some sort was nonetheless part of the brand new actuality through the latter half of 2020, the brewery was dedicated to getting its area able to welcome everybody again in an excellent greater & higher means sooner or later.
“We’ve had a rising want record of issues we’d love to do with our taproom specifically,” notes VBC Co-Founder Chris Smith. “We have been lucky to obtain an immense quantity of neighborhood outreach and help throughout our curbside-only operational part…so not solely have been we in a position to preserve our whole staff working collectively, however we’ve extra confidently been in a position to concentrate on the way to reinvest in our area whereas we are able to’t absolutely put it to use.”
In all, tasks accomplished throughout 2020 included:
· Sound dampening panels hung within the taproom
· Hand-built wood merchandise show station constructed & put in
· New taproom flooring venture accomplished
· Indoor stage space constructed
· Taproom ceiling followers put in
· New storage door (connecting taproom to beer backyard) put in
· Touchless facilities added to doorways and in all restrooms
· Beer backyard lighting additions accomplished
· Outside phases constructed/renovated
· Beer backyard tables & chairs sanded, sealed, & painted
· Beer backyard umbrellas put in
· Plexiglas ordering station constructed & put in for COVID protocols
· New taproom mural accomplished
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“What started as a couple of in-house tasks actually blossomed into an entire rejuvenation and growth of our current public areas,” displays Luci L. “The flooring venture was by far the largest enterprise – fully eradicating the previous prime coat of the ground and slicing all the way down to the unique composite to create a extra colourful basis that’s additionally higher suited to put on & tear going ahead. And essentially the most thrilling venture was the taproom mural!”
Through the 2020 vacation season, The Virginia Beer Firm teamed up with a muralist out of Richmond, VA referred to as The Night time Owl to fully re-envision the visible identification of their 2,000 sq. ft. taproom.
“We went from very broad strokes shade schemes – pink flooring with white partitions – to wanting to include 5 years of can releases, visible graphics, and private experiences into our taproom,” says Chris S. “We’ve included shapes, colours, and imagery from our logos and our historical past of recipes (with a wholesome dose of enter from our staff) so as to add a ton of life to our partitions that higher complement the story growing right here on Second Road.”
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The Virginia Beer Firm continues to function at lowered capability in adherence with protocols put in place by the Commonwealth of Virginia and greatest practices beneficial by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. Because the brewery maintains protected operations and continues to concentrate on retaining 100% of its employees, a dedication to doubling down on the flexibility to share much more rounds sooner or later is a prime precedence in 2021.
“In our efforts to take care of social distancing we’ve already expanded our service areas within the taproom and beer backyard, so it’s a pure development that if we’re including more room for our company we have to make the brand new expertise stream for a future once we’re again to 100% capability,” says Luci L. “We’re doing our greatest to make the public-facing areas as protected as potential whereas remaining partaking. Individuals have been actually excited to see the continuing additions, and the work coincides properly with our upcoming 5-year anniversary in March.”
Subsequent Up:
· On the manufacturing facet, the brewery is enterprise an entire restructuring of its manufacturing flooring in an effort to put together to usher in extra fermentation vessels, with elevated demand for export together with home distribution territory expansions into Western and Japanese Virginia on the speedy horizon.
· Within the beer backyard, the brewery can be including extra concrete floor space together with extra hearth pits (to enrich the three already in operation), and developing an enclosed fencing construction with bar tops to extend the allowable out of doors service space.
· For the façade, the brewery will once more be working with The Night time Owl to examine a mural for the outside of the brewery’s 61-year outdated constructing to raised welcome company to the newly named Edge District in Williamsburg the place the brewery operates.
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“We’re within the enterprise of sharing beers & cheers,” says Robby W. “2020 positively made it harder to concentrate on the ‘cheers’ a part of the equation, however we satisfaction ourselves on positivity and we really feel that we’ve made essentially the most of a tough time. We entered 2021 with an entire staff, an expanded on-premise expertise, and new methods to showcase our specific model of craft beer right here in Williamsburg and world wide. All issues thought-about, we’re as prepared as we will be for the rounds but to return.”
Extra details about The Virginia Beer Firm’s brewery, taproom, and beer backyard will be discovered at VirginiaBeerCo.com.
Contact Data
Firm: The Virginia Beer Firm
Contact: Robby Willey
Electronic mail: social@virginiabeerco.com
