We're Taking It Day By Day: Metal Monkey Handles Coronavirus

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Jason Janes, co-owner and co-founder of Romeoville-based Metal Monkey Brewery, is worried. His business partners are worried. His employees are worried. There's a lot of worry going around right now, and not just over COVID-19 infection. Per Governor J.B. Pritzker's mandate, Metal Monkey is closed to everything except pick-up orders - and it's not clear if that will be enough to keep the craft brewery afloat.

"We're doing the best we can all things considered, but... we don't really know what's going to happen," Janes said. "We're kind of taking it day by day."

The stall in business affects more than just the company's bottom line. Metal Monkey employees are feeling the squeeze, Janes said, especially since such a lack of business means reduced hours - and thus, reduced pay - for everyone. Janes said he and his business partners are looking into some form of crisis pay for his bartenders, but that it's a complicated process to do so.

"We're still trying to figure out what we can do; going through all the different government steps and links and encouraging employees to [sign up for] a bartender relief fund," Janes said. "We're trying to exercise all avenues that we can to help in any way that we can... but with the government sites you have to wait for certain areas to be declared 'affected' before we can officially get our application processed,"

• Related: Coronavirus: Help For Illinois Workers During Outbreak, Shutdown

The 'government link' Janes is referring to are those belonging to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which is offering loans worth up to $2 million to small businesses affected by the coronavirus. As of Monday, Janes said he does not believe Romeoville has been declared affected by the Administration.

Patch reached out to the Small Business Administration for clarification on how an area can be declared 'affected,' but did not receive any response. Additionally, the office of Romeoville Mayor Noak said that the Mayor had not yet declared a state of emergency for the village, despite an announcement that all village municipal buildings will close down on March 18.

Another problem is that besides a lack of funds and hours, there just isn't that much to do - even for Janes - with everything shut down to the extent that it is. Jane said they are not currently brewing any fresh batches of beer, though they are canning some batches that had made previously. Combined with no in-house customers, there just isn't much worth keeping people around for besides curbside pick-up.

"We're working with some of our employees to see if anybody is in desperate need for the few hours that we have, let's give it to [them]... Unfortunately, there's just not a whole lot [to do]," Janes said.

Janes did say that over this past weekend, friends and regular patrons of the brewery had pitched in to give Metal Monkey some much need business; buying four-packs of beer to help things along. That, at least, has been a positive to come out of this ordeal.

"We've been getting orders in... from a lot of our locals and a lot of our regulars and friends and family, which is helpful," Janes said, "and we hope that is sustainable."

Still, Janes acknowledged that because so many people were either facing reduced hours or a forced leave from work - many craft beer lovers are bartenders and brewers themselves - the funds people had to spend on beer were limited.

"They don't have discretionary funds to go purchasing stuff either," he said. "It's an interesting domino effect that's... rippled through the whole industry."

Janes encouraged Romoeville residnets to patronize not only Metal Monkey if they could, but also any other craft brewery near them. He also asked that people look into donating what they can to bartender and service industry relief funds.

"You want everybody to support everybody," Janes said. "As do we."

Online orders from Metal Monkey Brewing are now available at the brewery's website, as is an option to tip the Metal Monkey bartenders. For more information call 815-524-3139.