Celebrate the Good: Oregon Distillery Adds Hand Sanitizer to the Menu
When the panic surrounding the COVID-19 crisis began to ramp up in early March, many Americans flocked to the store to stock up on essentials. Toilet paper, masks, Lysol, latex gloves, canned goods, and of course, hand sanitizer flew off the shelves. By mid-march, it was difficult to find hand sanitizer in stores, and reports hit the news of individuals reselling it for incredible markups. Meanwhile, less prominently in the news, businesses with the means to make hand sanitizer began supporting the market with their own products, often for free. In March, an Oregon distillery known for its small-batch distilled spirits and restaurant began offering house-made hand sanitizer. The Shine Distillery and Grill, a small business that stepped up to help the local community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, started a trend that many other distilleries across the country began to pick up on. The goal? Make their own hand sanitizer to create a healthier and safer community to live and work in.
Noticing the increasing demand for hand sanitizer and his business’s precarious economic outlook as a restaurant in a pandemic, Jon Poteet, founder and owner of Shine Distillery and Grill, stepped up to help make his community a more healthy place. His community was growing increasingly worried about the health crisis, and Poteet believed that promoting a healthy and safe community is essential for businesses to thrive. Luckily for Shine, the solution was already built into their business model. When a distillery produces alcohol, there is a byproduct separate from the large batch that eventually becomes the stuff bottled and sold to restaurant-goers. This byproduct is a methyl alcohol-heavy product that is typically thrown away by distilleries, but the restaurant has been using it as a cleaner for drains and windows. After doing some research Poteet concluded that they could bottle and give the sanitizer away for free as long as they are not using it to make a medical claim or profit. For months, anyone who came through the door at Shine left with some hand sanitizer. Now, with an inspected product approved for sale, Shine is selling their hand sanitizer. If you are in the area you can place an order to pick-up food, drink, and hand sanitizer, ranging in size from 4 ounces all the way up to a gallon-sized container.
Not only has Shine been able to make their community a healthier place, but they have also discovered a new revenue stream that required very few changes to their existing business structure. They were able to monetize something that otherwise was thrown out or used as an in-house cleaning solution. Shine is a prime example of perseverance in the midst of panic. They made their business work by thinking outside the box. Their sanitizer sales since approval for retail sale have begun to exceed their sit-down restaurant business revenue prior to shutdown and have made the restaurant the focus of attention locally as well as nationally. Furthermore, Shine has remained committed to making healthy and safe communities by sharing their process for making hand sanitizer from methyl-alcohol by-product waste with over three hundred distilleries across the United States.
The success of Shine Distillery is a perfect example of how innovation can solve even the most challenging problems. Shine’s solution was simple and community-focused, but in the long run, it has patched-up holes in revenue and garnered positive media attention. Additionally, the increased availability of essential cleaning solutions in their community boosts public confidence and health. Using their byproduct allowed the business to remain open, serve the community’s needs in a health crisis, and maintain profits in a time when a majority of restaurants are wondering how much longer they can operate financially at a limited capacity. Shine is a great example of innovation in action and dedication to the community in which they live and work.
Want to share your own great story of 2020? Reach out to us today at info@nmblstrategies.com to be featured.