Industry needs the love

This is not the column I intended to write this week, but here we are in the midst of an extraordinary and challenging time. 

Your favourite restaurant, winery, brewery, pub or bistro has likely already made changes to its operations, or has temporarily closed. The effects will be far-reaching and it will take time for the owner, staff, and suppliers, to recover.

But to quote the song Other Side by Madison Ryann Ward:

•  “If I love you through it, will you be there on the other side?”

Let’s love our hospitality businesses through it. Here are some ideas to get us all to the other side.

Buy online:

You probably already do this, so why not see if your favourite producer (wine, beer, spirits, ciders, cheese mongers, chocolatiers, butchers, seafood suppliers, you name it) has online shopping?

A few producers are already offering extra services such as delivering to your car when your order is ready for pickup. Let’s get retro with car service.

Wine clubs:

There’s never been a better time to join a wine club. Many wineries may be limiting their hours and the number of people allowed in tasting rooms at one time, but most have clubs with a variety of options to keep you in wine. Free or discounted shipping is being offered by many.

Growler clubs:

While breweries are smartly curbing their patrons coming in with refillable growlers, see what else they may be offering as an alternative. Or simply sign up for a growler club now, so your favourite brewery has some cash flow, and beat the rush when the suds start flowing again.

Event tickets and experiences:

This suggestion has been circulating on social media. Rather than asking for a refund for a cancelled event, especially from a non-profit or community organization, donate the cost back to that organization.

Accommodations:

Policies may vary across hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and so on. Ask if you can move your reservation to a later date, and do that instead of cancelling outright. Or buy a voucher or gift certificate for future use.

Restaurants: gift certificates:

Think about how much you spend in an average week or month on dining out, grabbing lunch, picking up coffees. Put that cash toward gift certificate that you can buy online, or call your go-to spot with your credit card handy and ask them to put it in the mail (or email a digital version).

We’re in this together, even if we have to be physically apart.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Events listing will return when we’re past this phase of social distancing, but in the meantime, why not invite a few friends to join you for a virtual wine, beer, spirits, or cider tasting via Skype, Zoom, Facetime, a group chat, a Facebook group, or a livestream on your favourite social media platform?

Pick a theme, prepare some tasting notes, perhaps even invite the producer to join you and your crew virtually and get to know the person behind your favourite libation. 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.