I think I speak for most people who work in bars, restaurants, or brewery taprooms when I say it’s been a long five months. The shutdown has hurt, and it continues to do so. But as things reopen—whether earlier this summer, later this year, or beyond—there’s a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, however scary that might still be. There is promise, but we still have many hurdles to overcome.
One of the biggest hurdles for those of us who are draft-beer retailers is going to be quality.
That may seem dramatic, but if you look at all the factors converging in this moment, it’s hard to deny. These are desperate times for retailers. Little to no income for two or three months has put many in a precarious financial situation. With social-distance rules limiting capacity, reopening isn't quite the shot in the arm most need—at least not in the near term. Customers are returning, but not in the numbers to which we’re all accustomed. Consider the beer drinker’s situation: With so much uncertainty remaining around coronavirus spread, a lot of people are justifiably hesitant to return at all right now. Meanwhile, many have been out of work or have had income slashed, so they won’t have much extra spending money. So, when they do take that risk to go out and spend a little, they’re being very selective about where they go. There is little tolerance for bad beer.