“Right now we operate in a kitchen that’s about 60 percent inside our building and 40 percent outside our building,” Executive Chef Brian Guerriero explains. “Winter time can be rough here.” But the roughandtumble environment for the kitchen staff goes beyond exposure to the elements. Poor ventilation in an already stifling hot environment creates poor working conditions for the staff.
Coowner Rene Greff explains that that without the necessary changes, the Microbrewery will be unable to continue to use the outdoor space and will have to dramatically reduce its offerings and lay off half of its 8 person kitchen staff.
“A big part of our corporate culture is creating a good work environment for our staff,” she said. “And we realize right now that that is an area where we are failing them. The health department has been very patient and great to work with but the fact of the matter is that grills and ovens require mechanical ventilation in order to provide a safe working environment. We recently had to stop serving burgers because of unsafe smoke buildup. This just isn’t a sustainable situation.”
The campaign includes a dozen different benefit levels for funders from $5 (in exchange for your name and hometown on a brick in the pub) to $5,000 (for lifetime memberships in the mug club, growler club, and french fry club, lifetime tickets to monthly beer tastings at ABC’s Ann Arbor location, and a beer brewed and named in your honor and released at a party for your and your friends.
The Microbrewery is hosting a launch party for the campaign from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, July 21. Greff and her coowner and husband, Matt, will be on hand to show their campaign video, talk about all of the campaign perks and answer any questions. Refreshments will be provided. The campaign is live here.
About Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery
Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery is a production brewery and beer garden that brews Arbor Brewing Company brand beers for distribution throughout Michigan. It was opened in 2006 and is owned and operated by Ypsilanti residents Matt and Rene Greff who founded the Arbor Brewing Company Brewpub in downtown Ann Arbor in 1995.
