In a recent letter, the Florida Brewers Guild asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to decrease restrictions on breweries, which are currently operating with to-go service only.
The letter stated that an internal poll found 100 of the over-300 breweries in the guild are likely to close if all current restrictions remain for the next two weeks. This figure encapsulates over 30% of the 10,000 jobs supplied by Florida breweries, according to the letter.
“The vast majority of over 320 small businesses, representing over 10,000 jobs, are existing solely on a “to-go” model for our products — this constitutes less than 10% of our collective sales and is an untenable model for our industry,” read the letter.
The author then moves on to describe why breweries are different from night clubs and bars, arguing that Florida’s brewery industry is a “manufacturing industry first and a retail second,” it read. “The Florida craft brewery industry primarily serves our fans between noon and 8 p.m. — our core is serving families and small gatherings.”
The letter doesn’t specifically say which breweries will close, but the Florida Brewers Guild consists of quite a few Tampa Bay businesses.
The letter also says something about how the Florida craft brewing industry is, “the #1 tool utilized by municipalities to gentrify areas in dying neighborhoods."
A rep for the Brewers Guild told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the line, "was a poor choice of words. The intent was to call attention to revitalization on abandoned and underutilized property as well as the hiring and employment of local residents."
Florida bars and breweries were permitted to reopen with limited capacity on June 5, but on June 26, businesses with more than 50% of sales deriving from alcohol were forced to stop selling drinks on-site because of rising coronavirus cases.
All Florida breweries, especially those that do not have a food license, are included in the restricted businesses. On Friday, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation renewed its late June decision.
UPDATED: 07/23/30 10:46 a.m. Updated to include comment from the Florida Brewers Guild.
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This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2020.