A recent survey from the Canadian Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) found nearly half of respondents had year-over-year revenue losses of over 50 per cent in March amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
David Reed of Forked River Brewing Co. in London, Ont., says his own experience is in line with those results. As a result of the pandemic, Forked River has lost all licensee sales at bars and restaurants as well as sales at events and food pop-ups.
The company is currently operating with less than half of its staff of nine — though it plans to bring some staff back soon thanks to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy — and has had to hold back on plans to expand food offerings at its taproom. “Bars and restaurants are a large portion of our sales,