“It’s like having teenage emotions all over again,” laughed Chris Dufore, recounting how he and his business partners are trying to keep their brewery going in spite of coronavirus restrictions. “In the morning, I feel proud and excited. By afternoon, I’m dismayed, then by the end of the day, I think, ‘I can do this.’ But it’s a huge challenge.”

Dufore, who is far from his teen years at age 43, started out 14 years ago as an employee of the popular Edmonds establishment Gallaghers’ Where-U-Brew in Harbor Square. The tap room and brewery allows customers to make their own beer, wine, cider and root beer. ”I love the craft-beer industry and I like people so it’s a perfect fit,” Dufore said.

Last spring, he watched then-owners Tom and Marci Kretzler wrestle with keeping the brewery open as the lockdown took hold. “They gave it their best but the virus was just devastating,” he said. “They finally closed. It was horrible.”

Over the summer, he and two partners put together a deal to buy the venerable business and re-opened the brewery in August.

Even so, 50% occupancy and requiring appointments reduced the number of customers brewing their own drinks. “It was bittersweet. I found it was kind of nice because we could give customers more attention. So yes, we had half the capacity but more interaction with customers.”

Things were going along pretty well, he thought. Then, in mid-November, with rising COVID-19 cases in Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee announced four weeks of new restrictions.

“I was expecting another lockdown,” said Dufore. “But we offer the experience of brewing your own beer and wine. Now we can’t do that.”

So, once again, it was time to innovate.

“We moved to outdoor service. A nearby office said they had a big tent they could loan us, which was great because I didn’t have $3,000 to buy one. And a customer let us borrow two heating towers. Others gave us propane. But the biggest change is we are brewing for our customers. Nobody much misses the bottling, which is tedious,” said Dufore.

He is amazed and grateful for all the community support received. “People have done so much,” he said.

Because Gallaghers’ Where-U-Brew has such a long history in Edmonds – going back to 1995 – it’s buoyed by long-time customers like Edmonds resident Steve Pennington. He met the original owner, Dennis Gallagher, when the brewery first opened: “Thanks to his personal instruction – I remember it was a Czech Pils — I was hooked.”

Fans of the place were relieved when Gallagher sold to the Kretzlers, continuing the tradition. “Those of us who have come to be regular clients were overjoyed when Chris and his partners purchased the business,” Pennington said.

With the latest lockdown, he added, “it looked like we might lose the institution again, but their tenacity and loyal following may see them through. What most people don’t realize is the tremendous contributions Gallaghers’ makes to the community,” Pennington said. “Friends of the Edmonds Library, Edmonds College Foundation and many more non-profits and causes have been the recipients of their generosity.”

Dufore said they’re still doing what they can to carry on that tradition under coronavirus limits. “We’re hosting charity silent auctions and we have a Giving Tree here. We also want to support local business so when people come here we encourage them to order food from local restaurants.”

Meanwhile, with a skeleton crew and even spouses pitching in, Dufore knows there are tough times ahead. He isn’t making predictions about the brewery’s future.

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ And then, I talk to customers and I know that I’ll do whatever I can to save it. This is my community. It’s the right thing to do.”

Gallaghers’ Where-U-Brew

180 W. Dayton
Ste 105
Edmonds
www.whereubrew.com 
Phone: 425-776 4209
Hours:  Wednesday thru Friday: 3- 9 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday: 2- 8 p.m.

— By Connie McDougall

This article is part of an ongoing series exploring the impact of coronavirus on the life, work and health of local residents. If you or someone you know has a story to tell, please email us at myedmondsnews@gmail.com.