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This Cornelius brewery is trying to open business during a pandemic

"Our goal right now is to survive. And I think that’s true of the whole industry."

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Imagine trying to open a business right now when you’re literally not allowed to be in business.

A new brewery in Cornelius had to figure it out, and fast.

The new Lost Worlds Brewery in Cornelius sounds like a great concept. 

"Our taproom should feel like an explorers club, with maps and artifacts, we want people to be inspired to experience the world to travel," said founder Dave Hamme.

Just not right now.

"We couldn’t have picked a worst time," Hamme admits. 

They were supposed to open last Tuesday, and you know how that went.

"I have an MBA and all the risk management plans I made never addressed pandemic right when you’re getting ready to open," Hamme said. 

But that MBA did help this born adventurer figure out a new path. They stopped spending money on furniture and glassware for the taproom and instead figured out another way to sell their beer – packaging it to sell to go to customers and in Lowes foods grocery stores. 

Credit: WCNC

But even that had some challenges.

"A lot of people had growlers before, we have beer and we want to sell it some way, everyone is reaching out to the same suppliers and there’s just not enough to go around," Hamme said. 

After a month of waiting, they got more supplies Tuesday and are optimistic about their journey ahead.

"Our goal right now is to survive. And I think that’s true of the whole industry," Hamme said. "Let's get this work done to do what we can to be successful and then we’ll take each day as it comes."

They are now open for take-out with limited hours. 

He said one thing they have going for them, they hadn’t actually opened yet so they weren’t living hand to mouth and don’t have a ton of debt or employees to pay. 

Hamme said he's worried other breweries may not fare as well.

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