What We’re Doing & How You Can Help

Dear Friends & Patrons, these are uncertain times. Here’s what we know right now…

As of March 17, all restaurants, bars, and brewpubs in Austin are closed, except for take-out or delivery. This will have a profound effect on the service industry. Business has already slowed to a trickle. For many establishments, closings and layoffs will be the only way to stop the bleeding and give their staff the ability to seek unemployment benefits. At Lazarus, we plan to stay open, keep our staff employed, and continue to serve Austin.

Here at Lazarus, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our employees. That means keeping them both safe and employed. We all love East Austin, and we want to be here for a long time to come. So here’s our plan:

STAY OPEN - We're not going anywhere anytime soon. So for as long as the city lets us, we intend to keep (safely!) crafting coffee, beer, tacos, and joy. SALARIES not LAYOFFS - with all this uncertainty, job security should be the last thing our staff has to worry about. We have no plans for layoffs. And we are temporarily shifting all staff over to salaries, so everyone can count on a paycheck even if they get sick or we are forced to shut down. GET READY to HELP - over the next few weeks, it is highly likely many of our friends and neighbors are going to start getting sick. We’d like to start thinking now about how we're going to help one another when it happens. We're not sure what this will look like, but if our staff or patrons need assistance, we want to know about it... (more details soon).

You can expect reduced hours, with call-in, take-out, TOGO and curbside orders (we’re working on online ordering & delivery options). You can also expect us to start to focus on helping our neighbors in need. But our number one short term goal is to keep our team together, so we can continue to be here for you.

Here’s how you can help:

EAT & DRINK LOCAL - now more than ever, we need your support. So purchase an online gift card, or swing by and pick up some crowlers. (The new crowlers are in and they’re awesome. So go on, clean us out - we’ll make more! Our employees will have work! You will have great beer! Plus you might as well take home some tacos and coffee beans while you’re at it. For large orders, call ahead so we can be ready. We’ll even run it out to your car if you want. Everyone wins!) TIP GENEROUSLY - this is very best way you can help our bartenders and waitstaff (and they are the ones most affected by the slowdown). It makes a huge difference, and they will love you for it. DROP IN REGULARLY - we know it’s important to be safe; but it’s also important to stay connected. So please find ways to drop in and say hi. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, we all need human interaction, especially bartenders and baristas. Let’s find ways to (safely!) lean into in-person relationships, rather than retreat deeper into isolation. FRIENDSHIP over FEAR - it’s easy to be afraid of the unknown. Friendship may not make us any safer, but it often has the effect of making us more secure. It’s important to know we’re not alone. So grab some coffee or a few extra crowlers to (safely!) share with your neighbor out on the porch. Whatever we do, let’s choose to not panic. STAY TUNED - things are still extremely fluid. Please check back regularly, or sign up for our mailing list, so we can keep you posted about any new developments.

Let’s remember we’re all in this together, and together we’ll all get through it just fine!

Sincerely,

Christian Cryder

Founder & CEO





