By K.D. Norris
When the State of Michigan allowed local craft brewing establishments — along with most Lower Peninsula restaurants — to reopen to inside seating in June, there were and still are some “socially distant” capacity limitations which make sit-down business hard to turn a profit on.
Thank God for beer gardens.
And, in some cases, thanks to various city leaders allowing parking areas and other outdoor spaces to become beer gardens, outside seating has become very important part of local businesses’ recovery plans.
WKTV visited three local craft brewers — Two Guys Brewing, Broad Leaf Local Beer and Railtown Brewing Company — to see how they were making the move outside.
For Railtown Brewing, an existing wrap-around deck area was already in place and required very little changes. For TwoGuys Brewing, they worked with the City of Wyoming to be able to use parking spaces until a new back deck area is finished and approved.
For Broad Leaf Local Beer, working with Kentwood city leaders allowed them to expand into a grassy area onsite and into their parking lot — but that is just the beginning of a cooperative effort, including making the place a little more dog friendly.
(For a video report on Broad Leaf Local Beer’s outdoor spaces, doggie-friendly attitude — and the assistance they have received from the City of Kentwood — see the WKTV YouTube video at the top of this story.)
Railtown andTwoGuys
Railtown’s fairy new facility was perfectly suited for the new rules, and both have continued to garner community/customer support in changing conditions.
“We’re not expanding our space in any way. We’re actually in a fairly unique position to have a lot of space as it is,” Railtown Brewing Company’s Justin Buiter said to WKTV in June. “Inside, we’ve removed many tables, chairs and bar seats to get everyone spaced out appropriately. Outside, our tables were already socially distant, so there wasn’t much change necessary out there.
“In general, the support has continued to be amazing. As most folks are experiencing, face masks are the hot button issue. We really haven’t had any issues to speak of and folks have been generally understanding.”
Two Guys is actually working to offer permanent outside seating while it utilizes temporary outside seating.
“We have taken advantage of the ‘Temporary Outdoor Space’ and are able to use part of our front parking lot until October 31,” TwoGuys Brewing’s Amy Payne said to WKTV. “We have a permanent patio space in the back that is in the works and will, hopefully, have approval soon for that. … Inside we have reduced our number of tables by half and bar stools by just over half, making sure that all guests are a minimum of 6 feet from the next guest.
“Folks have been very understanding and have followed the rules fairly well. Support has been amazing with many of our neighbors and regulars making sure they come in at least once a week. They want us to be around when this is all over!”
Two Guys Brewing is located at 2356 Porter St. SW, Wyoming. For more information visit twoguys-brewing.com.
Railtown is located at 3595 68th St. SE, in Dutton but just across the border with Kentwood. For more information visit railtownbrewing.com.
Broad Leaf Local Beer is located at 2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd., Kentwood. For more informant visit broadleafbeer.com.
Bell’s Brewery to join Black is Beautiful initiative
Bell’s Brewery recently announced it has joined the Black is Beautiful initiative, an effort to help “bring awareness to the injustices many people of color face daily,” with the planned August release of a special brew.
The Black is Beautiful initiative originated with Marcus Baskerville, founder and head brewer at Weathered Souls Brewing based in San Antonio, according to supplied material. Originally planned as a Weathered Souls-only release, Baskerville was encouraged to expand his reach and make the recipe and label artwork available to more craft brewers — and so Bell’s plans to step up to the bar.
“We all have some work to do, Bell’s included, and we are committed to that,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, said in supplied material. “It starts on an individual level. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to continue this conversation and help drive real change.”
There are currently more than 700 breweries from across the globe committed to this initiative.
Bell’s version of the Weathered Souls Imperial Stout recipe will be released in 6-pack bottles exclusively at Bell’s General Store in downtown Kalamazoo and Upper Hand Brewery Taproom in August. Upper Hand Brewery is a division of Bell’s Brewery and is located in Escanaba.
As part of this initiative, Bell’s will make donations to two local Black-led organizations, the Kalamazoo NAACP and Face Off Theatre.
This collaboration brew, “while sharing some of the same values,” is not part of Bell’s Celebration Series, according the Bell’s statement. That series, which empowers different groups within the company that makes Bell’s what it is, will continue later this year with another beer designed and brewed by Bell’s employees. That next release, which will come from and celebrate Bell’s Black and African American employees, will be released in the fall.
Previous brews have celebrated International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, the LGBTQ+ community and veterans.
For more information on Bell’s Brewery visit bellsbeer.com.
