Local organizations rally around South Bend Brew Werks during COVID-19 crisis

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- “There’s no playbook for how to run a business in a pandemic,” said Owner and Head Brewer of South Bend Brew Werks, Steve Lowe.   

Since 2014, South Bend Brew Werks puts on the Beer for Good program.  The initiative partners with 3 local non–profits to help give back to those in need in the community. Typically, for every pint sold, 50 cents are donated to either the La Casa De Amistad, Neighborhood Resource Connection, or the Music Village.  The brewery raised $32,000 last year and over $100,000 in total for these organizations. However, now with the COVID-19 crisis, Lowe says that business is down 47%.

“It’s going to be a rough winter – let’s put it that way,” says Lowe.   

As the local brewery works to bring in customers and cash flow during these troubling times, their community partners are pledging to donate the money back this winter to help them stay afloat. 

“It’s just another example of what great partners they are that they can help us out in a time of need, so that we can help them out in the future,” says Lowe. 

The support from the community is coming as the brewery is scheduled to move to a different location just a block over on Main Street downtown. Lowe says that in the larger space the brewery hopes to bring in more business and help more people in the future.

“We’d be able to offer so much more to the community and that just feeds into the Beer for Good program. The more that people come through and grab a pint that’s more money to go back into the community and that’s the whole point of this,” says Lowe.   

Others in the community are also stepping up to help. The brewery now has an investment page where people can become their own community partners. The page to support South Bend Brew Werks can be found here.

Juan Constantino, Director of La Casa De Amistad, said that the decision to extend South Bend Brew Werks a helping hand was an easy one.

“They have invested over hundreds of thousands of dollars since their founding as a Brewery with their gift back model. So at a time when they are getting ready to expand and grow and make a much larger impact in our community, I think it is only right and just that we also invest back some of our monthly income,” says Constantino.