Allagash Founder Recovers From COVID-19 As Beer Sales Plummet 70%

March was a difficult month for Rob Tod who founded Allagash Brewing almost 25 years ago. Not only did the brewery’s sales drop for the first time ever, he tested positive for COVID-19 at the same time.

Here’s the deal…

In an interview with News Center Maine, Tod revealed what a rollercoaster ride March was. At the start of 2020 his Portland, Maine based brewery (the 28^th largest in the US) was full-speed ahead. Then came the coronavirus pandemic which led to the closing of bars, taprooms and restaurants across the nation and a 70% drop in revenue almost overnight.

“We thought it would affect us to the tune of 20%, maybe 30% and it would last a couple of month. But we didn’t think that 70% of our business would abruptly stop really overnight,” Tod told the NBC affiliate. And it was a shock to the system for a company that has grown every year since it was founded in 1995.

And while Todd was dealing with that, he learned that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and forced to self-quarantine at home while he recovered, working daily to help his company survive the impact of the coronavirus  on his business..

Tod told the interviewer that he was “so consumed and immersed in running this company at a time when we had lost 70% of our business the day that I came down with the COVID.”

“I just worked my way through it. I had no choice. Other than that, my health has been great,” Tod added. “I’ve been exercising every morning, trying to get out surfing wherever I can. So I’ve been holding up.”

Tod kept things upbeat throughout the over five minute interview, stressing that the company was quick to move into a more defensive mode. After drastically cutting expenses and shifting the brewery’s emphasis to off-premise and even curbside sales, Allagash Brewing didn’t have to furlough any of its 150 employees and is seeing its sales rebound.