How do you keep a brewery in business when customers aren’t allowed in the tap room? Tucker Robinson, owner of the Wild Edge Brewery says to-go sales and collaborations help him stay open.
HI, I'M LAURIE SIGILLITO WITH MONTEZUMALOCAL NEWS, AND AS PART OF OUR ROAD TO RECOVERY SERIES TODAY, I AMMEETING WITH TUCKER ROBINSON, WHO IS THE ONE OF THE OWNERS, IBELIEVE, FOR THE WILD EDGE BREWING COLLECTIVE. SO THANK YOU FOR BEINGHERE TODAY. TUCKER, I WANT TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU, WHATYOU'RE DOING NOW WITH, TO TRY TO GET YOUR BUSINESS RELAUNCHED ANDCREATING COMMERCE AND SUPPORT AND, AND MONTEZUMA.
GOODMORNING, LAURIE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SO WE ARE BACK OPEN AT ALIMITED CAPACITY. DURING THE WHOLE SHUTDOWN TIME, WE STARTED ACTIVELYWORKING WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE STATE, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEENABLE TO BE GRANTED SOME USE OF THE SIDEWALK, AND WE NOW HAVE LIMITEDSIDEWALK SEATING OUTSIDE. WE'RE NOT LETTING ANYBODY IN THE TAPROOMRIGHT NOW, STILL, BUT WE DO HAVE FIVE TABLES OUT ON THE SIDE OF THEWALK, NICE OPEN-AIR SEATING, FOREIGN AND DRAFT BEER, SERVING FOOD.AND WE'VE ALSO GOT A LOT, WE'VE MOVED A LOT OF OUR PRODUCTION INTOTO-GO CONTAINERS AS WELL. SO WE'RE OFFERING A MORE WIDE VARIETY OFFOUR PACKS. AND THEN, WE STILL HAVE SOME OF OUR BEERS IN A 32-OUNCECANTEEN, WHICH IS A BIG CAN THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD. WHOEVER THOUGHTWE'D BE ABLE TO SELL BEER TO GO, OKAY. I KNOW, RIGHT? IT'S ALWAYSBEEN A PART OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL, BUT RECENTLY IT HAS BECOME A MUCHLARGER PART OF OUR BUSINESS AND A MUCH LARGER PERCENTAGE OF OUR SALESARE COMING FROM OUT THE DOOR, BEER SALES. I'M GOOD.
I ALWAYS AM AMAZED WITH HOW NICE ALLTHE BUSINESSES IN MONTEZUMA WORK TOGETHER. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?ANYTHING WITH TRYING TO PIVOT AND CREATE NEW IDEAS WITH SOME OF THELOCAL BUSINESSES THERE?
YEAH, FOR SURE. WE ACTUALLY, THISWEEKEND, WE ARE STARTING A COLLABORATION WITH A STONEFISH SUSHI ANDMORE WHO WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH IN THE PAST. THEY'VE, THEY'VESERVED OUR BEER FOR YEARS, BUT STARTING THIS WEEKEND, WE'RE ACTUALLYGONNA START CARRYING SOME OF THEIR SUSHI ROLLS THAT PEOPLE CANPURCHASE HERE AND JUST HAVE ONE MORE MENU OFFERING. WE'RE BRINGING INSOME OF THEIR, THEIR CLASSIC ROLLS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO MAKING US ACUSTOM WILD EDGE ROLL. AND SO WE'LL START DOING THAT ON FRIDAYS ANDSATURDAYS TO START WITH, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES. THERE'S POSSIBILITYFOR EXPANDING THAT, BUT WE'RE REAL EXCITED TO BE WORKING WITH BRANDONAND HIS CREW OVER AT STONEFISH, JUST TO TRY TO PROP UP BOTH OF OURBUSINESSES IN THESE IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
WELL, I GUESSTHAT PROBABLY GOES BETTER THAN ICE CREAM WITH BEER, BUT YEAH, YOUKNOW, YOU NEVER KNOW,
YOU'D BE SURPRISED. WE'VE COLLABORATEDWITH MOOSE AND MORE IN THE PAST, AS WELL, FOR A STOUT BEER FLOATS,AND THOSE ARE PRETTY DELICIOUS, ALSO.
THAT, THAT'S AWESOME.WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, TUCKER, TODAYWITH OUR VIEWERS WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS AS WELL?
JUST OURCONTINUED GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE LOCAL SUPPORT WE'VE SEEN. THE LASTFOUR MONTHS HAVE BEEN UNIMAGINABLY TRYING FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES,ESPECIALLY BUSINESSES IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY. AND SO JUST LIKE TOONCE AGAIN, SAY A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR LOCAL CUSTOMERSWHO HAVE REALLY KEPT US HERE IN WILD EDGE AND ALL OF THE OTHER LOCALSERVICE-INDUSTRY BUSINESSES GOING.
WEL,. THANK YOU SO MUCHFOR YOUR TIME TODAY, TUCKER, AND A THANK YOU TO OUR VIEWERS FORWATCHING MONTEZUMA LOCAL NEWS.
THANK YOU.
