Thanksgiving success helps keep staff employed at 49th State Brewing Co.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Thanksgiving dinners were smaller this year for most families and groups. As such, there were fewer of those giant 10-20 person feasts. With a meal that’s tough to serve to just four or five people a number of restaurants across the state, including 49th State Brewing Company, stepped in to offer ready to cook meals.

“We definitely considered it a success,” said 49th State General Manager Chad Kaina. “It was great to see the overwhelming support we got from the community. It was heartwarming all the stories we heard about people sharing these thanksgiving meals with their families, taking pictures, sharing it with us on our Facebook page it really meant a lot to us.”

Along with the impact the pre-prepared meals had on customers, the 500 or so meals sold for Thanksgiving Day celebrations have also helped 49th State Brewing keep their staff numbers higher than they otherwise would have been.

“Without a doubt, every Thanksgiving meal that was purchased helped us keep more and more people employed and that’s what it’s all about, keeping my staff employed, so every thanksgiving meal that was purchased goes right to that,” Kaina said.

While the success of the turkey day meal program has made a difference for the Anchorage area brewery, the company still felt it needed to do more as the city has now entered it’s second “hunker down” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep staff numbers elevated they are attempting to get creative with how and where they use employees.

“Whether we’re employing our servers now as drivers, and they’re going to be delivery drivers to all around Anchorage, or we’re having our bartenders come in and work as cashiers, having our other workers help out and prep cook and everything it’s about keeping people employed as much as we possibly can,” Kaina said.

49th State Brewing Co. is hosting a Christmas Market in it’s lower parking lot each weekend in December as a means to keep some business flowing. The company will also offer another take-home meal option two days prior to Christmas after the resounding success of this last Thanksgiving project.

So if you’re looking to support a local business during the pandemic or if you just don’t want to slave over a small meal on a big day 49th State Brewing Co. and other restaurants like it could be the right option for you.

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