As shelter in place restrictions ease, breweries and wineries in San Francisco are now able to safely open their kegs and casks to the public, so long as they follow COVID-19 safety protocols like social distancing and wearing face masks.

In addition to being required to implement social distancing through creating outdoor dining spaces—which some wineries and breweries are intrinsically able to do with their access to extensive properties—they are also required to serve full meals. Here lies a problem: a winery or brewery can’t open a food facility with the snap of their fingers, especially if they don’t already have the infrastructure onsite. Due to the quick strike of COVID-19, many wineries and breweries were forced to lay off their employees to stay above water. Now that they can begin to reopen, owners are faced with the challenge of quickly trying to rehire or find new staff, which will require weeks of planning and training. Offering beer and wine food pairing as an additive feature can provide a solution to accelerate reopening.

Below are some examples of breweries and wineries who have implemented food trucks or catering to their offering to assist in reopening. 

Sarah Jackson, the owner of Combustion Brewery & Taproom in Pickerington, Ohio, knows well the value of featuring food trucks alongside her business. “We essentially have a rotating food menu. With each unique food truck at our brewery, our customers can enjoy a different meal with each visit, or plan to come when they know their favorite food trucks will be here. We try to keep our beer menu fresh and exciting, and we like that rotating food trucks can offer the same.”

Colleen McNamara, manager of Trophy Brewing Co. in Raleigh, N.C. has similar thoughts. “A lot of the food trucks have their own loyal following which helps bring out a crowd and introduces more people to the Trophy brand. We definitely see more business when we have a food truck. I know a lot of our regulars look at our food truck schedule every week to decide which days to come to Trophy based on their favorite trucks!”

In San Luis Obispo County, while some local wineries have remained closed to wine tasting on-site, others have reopened their tasting rooms under Stage 2 of California’s reopening plan. They’re serving meals—catered, pre-packaged or prepared in food trucks on-site—to pair with their wines.

As local residents look for ways to shake up their routine and get outside, visiting local breweries and wineries is a great option. If you know a brewery or winery who could use Off the Grid’s 10 years of food truck and catering expertise to assist in adding food truck or catering options to their menu, contact us here