When The Virginia Beer Companyโs management team made the executive decision on 3/16/2020 to close their taproom and shift entirely to curbside to-go operations, there was no precedent for how to plan for the future of the business. But one focus remained clear: do everything possible to keep every member of the Virginia Beer Co. team on the payroll.
โOnce we got curbside takeaway operations established, our next focus was on coming out with as many can releases as possible to keep the โbrew-thruโ refreshed. Our brewers had plenty to do on that front, but curbside ops didnโt demand as many hours for our front-of-house crew,โ reflects Virginia Beer Co. Taproom Manager & Business Developer Luci Legaspi. โWe had to brainstorm how to keep our teamโs hours up without a taproom โ so deep cleans, improvement projects, and renovations became a big part of our weekly routines.โ
The Virginia Beer Co.โs taproom floor is reconstructed during Summer 2020.
What started as an internal effort utilizing the skillsets of various Taproom Team members has turned into a complete overhaul of The Virginia Beer Companyโs 10,000 sq. ft. space. From rejuvenating tables and chairs with fresh finishes to building new wooden stage platforms for future live performances, and erecting fixtures to string lights in the beer garden, the Virginia Beer Co. team worked together to begin touching up normally bustling taproom & beer garden spaces that were suddenly closed to the public.
โOur rationale was that not only did we want to keep our teams busy & engaged, but we wanted to make sure our brewery experience was even better than our guests remembered when it was safe to host them again,โ comments Virginia Beer Co. Co-Founder Robby Willey. โOur building was built in 1960 and the brewery opened in 2016, so this was as good a time as any to reinvest in our home.โ
As do-it-yourself projects were completed and the atmosphere allowed for limited on-premise service in the breweryโs 2,000 sq. ft. beer garden, The Virginia Beer Companyโs management team decided to keep ongoing renovations as a major focus. As long as limited service of some kind was still a part of the new reality during the latter half of 2020, the brewery was committed to getting its space ready to welcome everyone back in an even bigger & better way in the future.
โWeโve had a growing wish list of things weโd like to do with our taproom in particular,โ notes VBC Co-Founder Chris Smith. โWe were fortunate to receive an immense amount of community outreach and support during our curbside-only operational phaseโฆso not only were we able to keep our entire team working together, but weโve more confidently been able to focus on how to reinvest in our space while we canโt fully utilize it.โ
In all, projects completed during 2020 included:
ยท Sound dampening panels hung in the taproom
ยท Hand-built wooden merchandise display station built & installed
ยท New taproom flooring project completed
ยท Indoor stage area constructed
ยท Taproom ceiling fans installed
ยท New garage door (connecting taproom to beer garden) installed
ยท Touchless amenities added to doors and in all restrooms
ยท Beer garden lighting additions completed
ยท Outdoor stages constructed/renovated
ยท Beer garden tables & chairs sanded, sealed, & painted
ยท Beer garden umbrellas installed
ยท Plexiglas ordering station built & installed for COVID protocols
ยท New taproom mural completed
โWhat began as a few in-house projects really blossomed into a complete rejuvenation and expansion of our existing public spaces,โ reflects Luci L. โThe flooring project was by far the biggest undertaking โ completely removing the former top coat of the floor and cutting down to the original composite to create a more colorful foundation thatโs also better suited for wear & tear going forward. And the most exciting project was the taproom mural!โ
During the 2020 holiday season, The Virginia Beer Company teamed up with a muralist out of Richmond, VA known as The Night Owl to completely re-envision the visual identity of their 2,000 sq. ft. taproom.
โWe went from very broad strokes color schemes โ red floors with white walls โ to wanting to incorporate five years of can releases, visual graphics, and personal experiences into our taproom,โ says Chris S. โWeโve incorporated shapes, colors, and imagery from our logos and our history of recipes (with a healthy dose of input from our team) to add a ton of life to our walls that better complement the story developing here on Second Street.โ
The Virginia Beer Company continues to operate at reduced capacity in adherence with protocols put in place by the Commonwealth of Virginia and best practices recommended by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. As the brewery maintains safe operations and continues to focus on retaining 100% of its staff, a commitment to doubling down on the ability to share even more rounds in the future is a top priority in 2021.
โIn our efforts to maintain social distancing weโve already expanded our service areas in the taproom and beer garden, so itโs a natural progression that if weโre adding more space for our guests we need to make the new experience flow for a future when weโre back to 100% capacity,โ says Luci L. โWeโre doing our best to make the public-facing spaces as safe as possible while remaining engaging. People have been really excited to see the ongoing additions, and the work coincides nicely with our upcoming 5-year anniversary in March.โ
Next Up:
ยท On the production side, the brewery is undertaking a complete restructuring of its production floors in order to prepare to bring in more fermentation vessels, with increased demand for export along with domestic distribution territory expansions into Western and Eastern Virginia on the immediate horizon.
ยท In the beer garden, the brewery will be adding more concrete surface area along with additional fire pits (to complement the three already in operation), and constructing an enclosed fencing structure with bar tops to increase the allowable outdoor service area.
ยท For the facade, the brewery will again be working with The Night Owl to envision a mural for the exterior of the breweryโs 61-year old building to better welcome guests to the newly named Edge District in Williamsburg where the brewery operates.
The Virginia Beer Co. begins installing new brewery floors in Winter 2021.
โWeโre in the business of sharing beers & cheers,โ says Robby W. โ2020 definitely made it more difficult to focus on the โcheersโ part of the equation, but we pride ourselves on positivity and we feel that weโve made the most of a difficult time. We entered 2021 with a complete team, an expanded on-premise experience, and new ways to showcase our particular brand of craft beer here in Williamsburg and around the world. All things considered, weโre as ready as we can be for the rounds yet to come.โ
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More information about The Virginia Beer Companyโs brewery, taproom, and beer garden can be found at: www.VirginiaBeerCo.com