AUSTIN (KXAN) — “We’ve seen about two-thirds of our income just disappear practically overnight,” Jester King Brewery co-founder Jeffrey Stuffings said on a gray Friday in April.
A lot can change in a few hours, even days and weeks when faced with a virus pandemic. Most days are now quiet in the Hays County hill country at Jester King Brewery. Ever since Gov. Abbott issued statewide mandates over two weeks ago, they haven’t had as many guests as they used to.
They actually haven’t had any at all — only visitors. The brewery can only operate as a ‘beer-to-go” spot for the unforeseen future.
“This is just unparalleled, super-unique … surreal, really,” Stuffings said. KXAN met with him at the brewery Friday morning — a day after the brewery posted on Instagram about the Texas Craft Brewers Guild petition he’s urging Texans to sign.
The request is simple: “Allow Texas brewers to deliver and ship beer during COVID-19,” the Guild states on the petition website. So far more than 15,000 supporters have signed as of Friday, April 3.
As Texas law stands, “we’re allowed to run a curbside pick-up for our restaurant,” Stuffings said. “And then we’re also allowed to keep brewing beer and distributing beer, but the tasting room, the restaurant … showing up here to enjoy our space is totally closed right now.”
What would the petition change?
The Guild petition asks for “federal and state relief measures for all small businesses” as well as Abbott to exercise emergency powers to:
- Allow Texas breweries and brewpubs to continue the production of beer and remain open for beer-to-go sales, including take-out, drive-thru and curbside pickup while abiding by all federal, state and local health and safety guidelines.
- Temporarily allow Texas breweries and brewpubs to deliver beer directly to consumers at their homes/apartments.
- Temporarily allow Texas breweries and brewpubs to make direct-to-consumer beer shipments.
- Temporarily suspend the collection of TABC excise tax payments so brewers don’t have to choose between paying a tax bill and making payroll.
- Issue excise tax credits for any surplus beer that is disposed of as a result of COVID-19 impacts.
“These are rights that brewers in a lot of other states are taking advantage of right now to survive, and we’d really like to see Texas breweries have those same rights,” Stuffings said. “So there’s jobs to come back to when this is all said and done.”
Texas breweries did make headway on law changes in 2019. Last year, Abbott signed a “Beer-to-Go” bill into law, allowing breweries to start selling beer for people to take home. This loosened Texas’ three-tiered system that ensured that those who make, move and sell beer don’t cross over each other’s business.
Fermenting fallout
It’s been a tough time for workers, especially in the hospitality industry, and breweries like Jester King have felt the fallout.
“For us, the decline in sales is really dramatic because we’re so focused on inviting people out here to enjoy our place,” Stuffings said. “We’ve had to part ways with, hopefully temporarily, with some long time staff here at Jester King, which hasn’t been pleasant. One of the saddest parts of this crisis.”
But there is some comfort.
“Right now we’re pursuing relief through the CARES Act. Our application just went in last night,’ Stuffings said. “So we’re hopeful we’ll get a little help.”
But he is a little hesitant. “What does relief look like? Right now as advertised in the CARES Act, it looks pretty good and helpful. … I still want to make sure we actually see that and it’s not just a mirage. … If we do get relief, that will calm a lot of my nerves as to still being here as a brewery when this is done.”
And if the petition fails, “for us, it means it’s going to be that much harder to get through this. There’s so much uncertainty right now to how long this is going to last. Does this stretch well into the year? Once the health threat is at least minimized, what does the economy look like after that? Are people still coming out to enjoy breweries, bars and restaurants?” Stuffings questioned. “I’m sure some of the business will come back. It’s a big question mark. How much really will? So we’re approaching this as a kind of a long haul thing that’s gonna take a while to recover from as a business.”
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