as told by Carmen Chan
This past March, Barrel Head Brewhouse would’ve been celebrating it’s 6th birthday, but instead, the shelter in place order put the restaurant bar on hiatus. Ivan Hopkinson (co-founder) and his team didn’t immediately turn to food delivery or take outs, instead, they decided to stay closed to see what was safe or not. With some help from their building landlord and vendors, Barrel Head has been able to retain 90% of its employees and continue to pay their healthcare and wages. The sense of a community (Ivan is also a neighbor) has helped the Barrel Head team keep their spirits high.
And that spirit is the essence of their recent beer stand. If you happen to walk by Barrel Head during the afternoon between 4 and 7 PM, you may notice an inconspicuous sign noting $4 to-go beers and an open sliding window. The makeshift beer stand offers to-go Barrel Head brew and $3 jello shots. The idea came from one of the bartenders, Crystal. All proceeds go to the employee wages and the prices are purposely low so it is affordable to all neighbors. The hope is to give the restaurant regulars and neighbors a few minutes a day away from their stay-at-home routine for some fresh air and a beer. The beer stand is a means to having a little bit of fun and the team is continuing to brew up more new ideas to keep everyone’s spirits high.
As of this week, Barrel Head reopened their food take-out and delivery. If you are hungry for a barrel burger or some prawn pasta - now you can get it! Or if you happen to be out for a stroll, stop by Barrel Head for a to-go beer or a jello shot, and see what the team has up their sleeves coming next. All Ivan has asked for, is for folks to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
If you would like to support Barrel Head from the comfort of your couch - you can either order food to be delivered or purchase an e-gift certificate for yourself or a friend to be spent after we’re all out and about again.
