Friday afternoons in downtown Glassboro are typically busy. The heart of Rowan University’s campus is usually overrun with college students and residents preparing for the weekend.

But on a sunny spring day with temperatures flirting with the 80s, Axe and Arrow brewery is empty, except for co-founder Krystle Lockman, her two kids and a slow trickle of people coming in for take-out.

Axe and Arrow is just one of the many breweries across New Jersey who are adapting to the regulations set by the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus. After restaurants, bars and other similar establishments were ordered to be closed Monday and a curfew being ordered, breweries have had to find new ways to provide their products in order to make money, often shifting to take-out options and deliveries.

Lockman said thankfully brewery regulars continue to patronize the business. The Axe and Arrow co-founder herself does not receive a salary, something that has allowed the business to continue and for her to help with the beer sales, unlike some of the other nearby restaurants and stores.

“In this business model, the beer is made, and it is sitting there waiting for us,” Lockman said. “Those restaurants down there, they have to have cooks, line staff, and dishwashers. They have to have a full staff to be able to run, and they can’t afford to pay that. Most of the stuff on the boulevard has shut down.”

Lockman also said there are other ways in which people can help the local breweries.

“Any support that you can give now is appreciated,” Lockman added. “With gift cards, we will always honor them. It gives us a way to pay the electric bill today, and you get to enjoy the beer; however, you like going forward. Merchandise is also a great way to support breweries.”

Axe and Arrow Brewery co-founder Krystle Lockman (left) and Jim (right) stand outside the brewery Friday. Jim said he was getting the beer for his son, a 25-year-old Rowan University graduate. March 20, 2020 Chris Franklin | For NJ.com

In Bergen County, Brix City Brewing continues to plug along. Operating in the county that has the most reported cases of coronavirus in the state, the brewery is finding different ways to get by.

Co-owner Joe Delcalzo said now that their tasting room is closed for customers inside, the brewery has shifted its focus to pre-packaged crowlers — fresh canned beer.

“We’re offering home deliveries to people with packaged beer only to go,” Delcalzo said. "We are trying to keep our employees safe.”

Delcalzo said that because the brewery has a canning line, it has been able to send its products to the liquor stores, allowing Brix City to shift package plans for the foreseeable future. The brewery co-owner did say he was a bit nervous about raw material acquisitions in the future and the possibility of additional state regulations being handed down.

“We have not had to layoff any of our employees yet,” Delcalzo added. “We have had to reduce some of their hours and cut some of their pay, but everyone understands. These are desperate measures, and we have never had to do that in the five years of business that we have been open ever.”

Jesse Brady, of Ridgewood, purchases beer from the Cape May Brewing Company, Friday, March 20, 2020. They are offering take out and deliver service due to the coronavirus scare. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

In the southernmost part of the state, the Cape May Brewing Company is still making beer. Within the two hours that NJ Advance Media was at the location, at least 20 people (and a few dogs) came into the brewery. Keeping the capacity to eight people inside, they were buying six-packs and cases of beer. One woman, Rose Kennedy, wore a mask not only for her safety, but because her parents were elderly and she said she did not want to spread coronavirus to them.

Having closed their tasting room to visitors on Monday for precautionary reasons, brewery marketing director Alicia Grasso said the “Brewtique,” the retail to-go part of the facility, is still open. Grasso added the brewery is still filling orders for people to purchase beer and pick it up.

“We have created an opportunity for the residents of Cape May County where we can facilitate some local beer delivery service for our community as well,” Grasso said.

The marketing director said the demand for beer had not yielded at all. The brewery’s production facility is still open, making beer, and its sales team is still going out to sell beer to off-premise accounts. The brewery had also converted their “Beertenders” to delivery drivers to facilitate the effort.

“We have seen an uptick in the off-premise portion of business just because of the closure of the bars and restaurant,” Grasso added. “As long as liquor stores and packaged goods can remain open for retail sales, we are going to continue to sell them.”

Andrew Fisher, a beertender at the Cape May Brewing Company, carries beer to his van for delivery, Friday, March 20, 2020. They are offering take out and deliver service due to the coronavirus scare. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Tim on Instagram@photog_hawk and Twitter @photogthawk. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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