(From left) Ardent Craft Ales co-owner Tom Sullivan, Taproom Manager Lincoln Smith and Head Brewer William Poole. The brewery has launched Ardent Helps, a food bank for restaurant industry workers. (Photo courtesy Ardent Helps)
On March 30, Ardent Craft Ales in Scott’s Addition launched Ardent Helps, a food bank aimed at aiding restaurant industry workers affected by business closures due to the growing coronavirus pandemic.
“We're all in this together,” says Ryan Kelly, digital and social media coordinator for the decade-old brewery.
Once one of Richmond's most bustling neighborhoods, considered the unofficial beer mecca of the city, Scott's Addition is quiet. Some of Ardent's neighboring restaurants, including nationally recognized Longoven, have shut their doors until further notice, while others from ZZQ to Brenner Pass and Perch have transitioned into strictly to-go operations. Ardent has closed its taproom for on-premises consumption and is offering pickup and delivery service currently.
“The restaurant and brewery industries really complement each other well, and the Richmond restaurant scene is full of amazing people,” Kelly says. “We're in a position now where we have the space, equipment and time to help out, so we want to do everything we can to support all our friends across the region.”
With a 9,100-square-foot taproom, pivoting Ardent's space into an operation that could serve as a resource for the service industry made sense, Kelly says, adding that since the food bank went live at 4 p.m. Monday, there have been over 70 orders placed.
To publicize Ardent Helps and connect those in need with resources, the brewery is partnering with food distributor Sysco; the Holli Fund, a nonprofit that assists restaurant workers during financial hardships; and Harrisonburg-based marketing agency Digital Minerva.
The team at Ardent got the idea for the food bank from their fellow brewers in Harrisonburg, Pale Fire Brewing, who developed a similar concept in their area. When Pale Fire reached out to ask if they would like to initiate the program in Richmond, Ardent jumped at the opportunity.
“The restaurant industry has been decimated by the COVID-19 virus and the country’s need to close or restrict public gathering spaces,” says Ardent co-founder Tom Sullivan in a news release. “We want to do our part to help the thousands of restaurant workers in Richmond and the surrounding area who have been laid off, furloughed or are suffering from reduced hours.”
Online, industry workers can find an ordering platform that allows them to view the current inventory such as yogurt, bananas, chicken and bread. The orders are available for pickup the following day between 2 and 8 p.m., with the exception of Mondays.
While the food bank is strictly for restaurant industry workers, Kelly says Ardent Helps serves workers in surrounding counties and areas outside the city such as Henrico, Chesterfield, Midlothian and Petersburg. Recipients are asked to show their most recent pay stub upon pickup at the brewery.
Ardent Helps will be run by a combination of Ardent employees and friends of the brewery who have volunteered to lend a hand. Kelly says they will be following strict sanitation guidelines and social distancing measures.
The goal is for the program to last as long as it can safely operate and donations are available. Along with the online platform, Ardent is also accepting shelf-stable food donations that they can store in the brewery, as well as monetary donations that will be disbursed in the form of grants through the Holli Fund.
“We’re honored to be able to help the Richmond service industry,” Sullivan says.
