Danny and Mary Bradley had a plan. The plan was working. Then the coronavirus pandemic changed everything.
“I do not believe anyone could have forecasted this scenario,” said Danny.
The Bradleys started Crystal Ridge Distillery in Hot Springs.
Envisioning a working distillery as well as a restaurant, event venue, and retail shop, they planned to open slowly in phases during the tourist town’s off-season.
After hosting their first event in September, the restaurant and bar opened three months later. Retail and liquor sales began on Dec. 31. When Oaklawn opened for live racing, Crystal Ridge expanded its hours.
“Our goal was to be fully open seven days per week by spring break and the beginning of the tourist season,” Danny said.
The Bradleys held a grand opening celebration March 14. Six days later, due to COVID-19 restrictions, they had to stop hosting events, closed the restaurant and bar, and began laying off staff.
Their new plan, born of necessity: make hand sanitizer.
Meeting a Need
“We were scrambling as an infant business to provide the much-needed revenue or cash flow to pay our bills and preserve our business. We read in different articles that other distilleries had started producing sanitizer,” said Danny.
The Bradleys began researching the requirements and needed ingredients.
“We were fortunate, in that we did not have to purchase any additional expensive equipment. We were able to convert what we were currently using and make some minor adjustments to manufacture and bottle the sanitizer,” he said.
Demand was immediate. People and businesses began contacting the distillery about getting the product. Word-of-mouth and posts on the business’s Facebook page “spread the news like wildfire,” according to Danny.
By the end of May, Crystal Ridge Distillery had manufactured, donated, and sold 11,000 gallons of sanitizer. In addition, CRD continued to produce its line of distilled spirits, and sales have been good during the pandemic.
“We had schools, first responders, nursing homes, universities, banks, and many other businesses using our sanitizer. Then we knew, we not only had been able to save our business, but we had made an incredible impact on our community and others,” he said.
Rising to the Challenge
The coronavirus is not the first obstacle the Bradleys have encountered on their startup journey.
“We have faced a lot of unusual challenges with opening our business, such as changing lenders during the construction phase, a heart attack on April 23, 2019, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. The ASBTDC and their staff have been there with assistance whenever they have been called upon,” said Danny.
Danny and Mary brought their distillery idea to the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at Henderson State University in 2018.
The couple worked with the center more than a year, receiving market research, financial analysis, and business planning assistance, which helped them obtain over $2 million in financing for the project.
Danny called their ASBTDC consultants “irreplaceable” throughout the process.
“I do not know what we would have done without their assistance,” he said.
The pandemic has taught the new business owners how to stay agile. While a goal-setter and a planner by nature, Danny says, “Being flexible, versatile, and adjusting on the fly are much more practical in today’s uncertain business environment.”
To learn more about Crystal Ridge Distillery, visit crystalridgedistillery.com.