The Return of the Bar – What to Expect in a Post-COVID-19 Society

For owners of bars and craft beer franchise locations like Voodoo Brewing Co., 2021 is the year they can finally see an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it will likely be a while before we are all experiencing everything life has to offer the same way we did before March 2020, our country is definitely closer to normalcy than we’ve been in a long time. But what does this mean for craft beer franchise proprietors- or any small business owners, for that matter? What does the future hold for everyone who just wants to grab a beer with buddies on a random Thursday night, the way we used to? 

Believe it or not, the thing we’ve all been dreaming about- gathering with friends and family for a fun night out- isn’t as far off as it still seems. Here at Voodoo Brewing Co., we’re already taking every step we can to make sure our craft beer franchise is still able to show guests a damn good time- after all, we deserve it! 

We’re sure to see some of the minor tweaks and pivots, like mask-wearing, social distancing, and ramped-up cleaning and sanitation efforts- becoming part of the normal bar experience in the coming months, but these minor changes are nothing compared to the feeling of getting together with your ride-or-die bros and bro-ettes at your favorite neighborhood craft beer franchise (Read: Voodoo!)

Here’s a glimpse into what experts predict for 2021 and beyond.

We all know the pandemic story… But what comes next?

It would have been TOTALLY impossible in 2019 for restaurant and brewery owners to ever guess where they would be today.  Without a doubt, the pandemic has been crazy tough on breweries and on the restaurant industry as a whole. We feel for our brothers and sisters in the craft beer industry, and are happy to report that thanks to a couple of fun little innovations, like our outdoor beer garden spaces and limited beer delivery services, our craft beer franchise is still rockin’ and rollin’, and ready to kick 2021 into high gear!

The pandemic has been especially tough for independent craft brewers and owners of local bars and restaurants. With rent piling up, many owners of small neighborhood pups have been forced into bankruptcy and put out of business. Many brewers were seeing 90% of their sales going to orders placed and enjoyed in-house, pre-pandemic, so to be fair, it may be hard to see why now might be the best time ever to break into the industry with a craft beer franchise like Voodoo Brewing Co.

You may be surprised to find it is actually an ideal time to get the ball rolling if you have ever thought about running a bar or craft beer franchise.

How many times have you thought to yourself lately, geez I can’t wait until I can just go to a pub and simply order a beer again? 

Well, you aren’t alone. 

Good news for craft beer Franchise Owners

The tastier of the NRAs – the National Restaurant Association, released data showing that 83% of adults say they are not eating at restaurants as much as they would like to.

This and other factors have indicated that although now may be an incredibly difficult time to be trying to survive as a restaurant, it may counterintuitively be the prime time to invest for those preparing to enter the industry.  

While the outlook is still grim at the moment for those still currently trying to weather the most disruptive global event in our lifetime, some industry changes have kept the closings down to a minimum. These changes, along with the rollout of vaccines, does offer a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

One positive change for the industry brought about by the pandemic was the introduction of new legislation which allowed for the sale of beverages via e-commerce. With beverage drinks being such a regulated space, this was a victory for craft brewery and restaurant owners alike.
Not every business owner was fortunate enough to survive the tribulations brought on by COVID-19, however, with 17% of US restaurants being reported closed in early December 2020.

With nearly 1/5 of the industry closing its doors, a lot of restaurant and brewpub space has opened up, particularly for craft beer franchise models like Voodoo’s, that thrive on second-generation real estate in quirky, eclectic neighborhoods. This unfortunate reality for those businesses that have closed is actually has a positive effect on those looking to get into the restaurant industry – more specifically for entrepreneurs thinking about owning a franchise.

While there may be a lot of real estate opening up, investing in opening an independent restaurant is still a risky proposition. Just like any other market, as opportunities arise, the space can quickly become saturated.

 If there is an influx of new brands and ideas popping up post COVID-19, it will be too easy to find yourself lost in the noise. Investing in a craft beer franchise at this time would mean that you’d have a corporate team there to provide the proven business model, training, support and Franchise Owner community that would be needed to maximize potential for a return on your investment.

Bart Watson, the Chief Economist for the Brewer’s Association said in an interview with Forbes Magazine that he forecasts the 2nd quarter of 2021 to be still challenging for the industry, and anticipates the beginning of a return to normal for the 3rd period, with a prediction of sales falling 8% by the end of the year.

While there is still much pressure on existing brewpubs across the country, the timing may work out for aspiring entrepreneurs. 

At Voodoo Brewing Co., it takes our craft beer Franchise Owners approximately 9 months after training until they can open their doors and serve their first customers. When compared to the 10-year runway needed to build a new brand in this industry, this seems like virtually no time at all…yet for an aspiring entrepreneur who got started on the journey to craft beer franchise ownership today, it would be just long enough to increase the likelihood of a return to more normal activity by the time Opening Day rolled around.

Is it time to open a craft beer franchise with Voodoo Brewing Co.?

Imagine for a moment you have decided to take the leap, and have invested in Franchise Ownership with us – by the way: Congratulations, good move.  

Once educated on the proven business model, you will be on your way to opening your doors in a rewarding new career managing your very own craft beer franchise- not to mention having exclusive rights to serve Voodoo’s award-winning beers in your community. As previously mentioned, this process takes around 9 months to complete.

Coinciding with the vaccine rollout and subsequent reopening of the world means it is actually a great time to begin the process. You will literally be watching your world open just as the rest of the world reopens, and the hordes of socially distanced and happy-hour-starved survivors pour into the establishments.

When looking at the first “reopening” back after the first wave of coronavirus in 2020, and trying to introduce social distancing into an industry that revolves around people getting together socially, the outlook was grim. 

Reduced capacities, hours, contact tracing, mandatory masks, the list goes on and on. I think it’s safe to assume that aside from the excitement to leave home, nobody was really stoked on what the “new normal” was going to look like.

This time though, (thankfully) we have vaccines.

 With the US government recently securing contracts for enough doses to vaccinate the nation, things are surely looking up. What started as a two-week disruption and led to one of the hardest years known by many, is finally being fought back, dose by dose, arm by arm. 

This time, reopening is going to mean reopening, and normal is going to mean normal – eventually. We may not be there yet, but the end is in sight.

With all this in mind perhaps, when looking towards the reopening of society in general we can afford to be a little more optimistic this time. 

When thinking about what bars and restaurants will look like, post-COVID, we can now look to places like Australia or New Zealand, who have managed to keep on top of coronavirus. 

Photos of crowded rugby stadiums and bars with no plexiglass barriers offer hope that bars will look much the same post-pandemic as they did pre-pandemic. Of course, there will be some new kids on the block, as investors and entrepreneurs see the opportunity ahead of them.

It’s easy to see why right now is such an exciting time for entrepreneurs. The reality of the situation is that ebb and flow is constant. The pandemic undoubtedly has been a tragic situation that nobody wanted to endure. 

One silver lining, however, is the resulting demand that has built up in the population, which is sure to create a space for current and future entrepreneurs to flourish and succeed. 

Interested in owning a craft beer franchise with Voodoo? You have excellent taste! Visit our site for more info.