Opinion piece written by Chadd Balbi, co-owner of Breweries In PA.

As you know, Pennsylvania is currently under its latest shutdown due to Covid-19. One of the major items to come out of this shutdown was the elimination of indoor dining in breweries/bars/restaurants until January 4th, 2021.

After the first weekend of this shutdown, we have noticed a bit of a trend in the Pennsylvania craft beer landscape. That some guests were only going to support breweries who chose to defy the orders and stay open.

It’s important to take a minute to share that this post isn’t about passing judgment or shaming a business for defying orders. I am not educated well enough or paid nearly enough to be the one deciding what is right and wrong in a once in a generation pandemic. At the same time, I cannot begin to put myself in the shoes of a business owner who has to make a decision that will have a negative impact on the well-being and livelihood of themselves, their family, and their staff.

Now back to the point……

Over the first weekend, we noticed that some guests would purposely be looking for or going out of their way to support those businesses “taking a stand” against the orders. Don’t believe us. The image below is taken directly from a brewery owner themselves (name redacted for obvious reasons):

You also have the breweries noticing an uptick in support as well.

So what’s this all about? A majority of the breweries in this state are following the orders, but not nearly seeing the same fire and drive to support their businesses. Should a business be punished by the public for doing what they can to comply? Over the next few weeks, these breweries need to rely on to-go sales, delivery (if they offer it) and what limited outdoor seating they can provide in the cold weather months to get by. Your favorite brewery may likely not be operating in 2021 due to all of this. Now is not the time to show support out of some passion for rebellion. We must all be doing our part to support local businesses in whatever way possible that also makes us feel safe during this pandemic.

Once again this post is not about discouraging supporting those who are staying open. Rather a call to action. Skip the Applebee’s car side pickup, the big box beer retailer, or any other business that will have the financial support provided by a conglomerate that is likely worlds away.

It is time we throw our support to ALL breweries in this industry. Please do not let your passion for rebellion replace your passion to support local.