CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS — You may have noticed COVID-19 concerns have caused many traditional events in the Coastal Bend to be canceled or postponed. However, Nueces Brewing Company hopes its upcoming event will not have the same result.
The event is called "OctoberFeast" and will have two main elements: food and social-distancing regulations.
“We want people to know that you can come here for a good meal," said Nueces Brewing Company managing partner Brandon Harper. "It’s not just a beer hall or a bar. We’re expanding our menu every week."
Harper admits the brewery's aim was never to be an eatery, but necessity has changed that.
"We are not food guys," he said. "We have never started out as food guys, but we’re changing by force of nature.”
The brewing company is getting to take its art behind the pit, and the end of September, turning Octoberfest into OctoberFeast. Yet, due to COVID-19, there’s going to be some changes. Workers will be wearing masks, tables will be spread out and the facility will open at less than fifty percent capacity.
“And it’s not going to be everyone just mingling walking around the whole time on top of each other,” Harper said. “We’ll spread everyone out so that there’s space. That’s where we’re limiting the tickets, and we have two time slots, so that way we can offer more people the experience without crowding them in together.”
Harper said OctoberFest helped their business economically in 2019 during the slow months, and that OctoberFeast may not have the same result, but keeping workers and guests safe is a top priority.
“Yeah, we will wipe down the tables, keep everything cleaned -- everything you’re supposed to do, you know," he said. "All of the outside cooking will be done spread apart so that way people can walk around and look at the different stations."
He also said there won't be lines at each chef's station.
"No one is on top of each other," Harper said. "It won’t be elbow-to-elbow. It will be plenty of room to spread out."
The event is scheduled for Sept. 27. Tickets are $98, and OctoberFeastwill feature many local chefs.