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Local breweries use creativity, teamwork to fight slowing sales Pandemic affecting industry nationwide Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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SO MANY BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW. ALL BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC. SURVIVAL MEANS MAKING MAJOR CHANGES. CODY HOLYOKE IS WORKING FROM HOME. SO MANY BUSINESSES ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN, EVEN IF IT MEANS THINKING REALLY OUTSIDE THE BOX JUST TO STAY AFLOAT CODY? CODY: GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, KANSAS CITY. IT’S ABOUT CREATIVITY AND TRYING SOMETHING NEW. JUST BECAUSE A BUSINESS IS DEEMED ESSENTIAL DOES NOT MEAN IS NOT STRUGGLING. TO STAY IN BUSINESS MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS HAVE TO BE MADE IN REAL TIME. TAKE THE DOZENS OF CRAFT BREWERIES AROUND THE METRO, FOR INSTANCE. TASTING ROOMS ARE CLOSED RIGHT NOW. BREWHOUSES ARE MUCH MORE EMPTY THAN THEY WERE A MONTH AGO. OWNERS ARE WORKING TO KEEP THE BUY LOCAL MENTALITY GOING. WE’VE SEEN LOCAL BUSINESSES TEAM UP TO TRY AND MOVE PRODUCT, USING DRIVE THRU AND CURBSIDE SALES, EVEN DELIVERY. LOCAL OWNERS ARE MAKING IT WORK BUT STRUGGLING TO KEEP WORKERS ON THE PAYROLL AND STAY IN BUSINESS. >> PEOPLE ARE GETTING REALLY CREATIVE RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK IT’S REALLY TESTING A LOT OF THINGS. HOW WE KIND OF VIEW BEING A SMALL BREWERY HAS REALLY KIND OF BEEN FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND ANYTHING THAT ANYONE DOES AND TRIES, WHETHER THAT WORKS OR NOT, IT’S -- EVERYTHING’S WORTH A SHOT RIGHT NOW. CODY: THE ADJUSTMENTS COME AT A DEVASTATING TIME FOR THE INDUSTRY. A NEW NATIONAL SURVEY FROM THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION SHOWS ABOUT 46% OF BREWERS SAY IF THINGS STAY THE WAY THEY ARE NOW THEY’LL BE FORCED TO CLOSE WITHIN ONE TO THREE MONTHS. SOME BREWERIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CLOSING OR PLAN TO CLOSE IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS. THIS IS ANOTHER INDUSTRY.