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Little Miss Brewing is Serving its Staff During These Difficult Times

Family comes in all forms. Everyone is born into a family, but sometimes our coworkers become as important to us as our families. This is true for Jade Mischner, owner of Little Miss Brewing, and her husband Greg Malkin, its Operations Manager, who are giving back to and supporting their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our staff have very little protection from the pandemic,” said Malkin. “We pay them minimum wage, like all restaurants/bars.” While these bartenders and servers can currently apply for unemployment, their unemployment checks don’t take into account the tips they recieve which significantly increases their overall salary. “Tips are how our staff can survive in very expensive Southern California,” Malkin added.

When Governor Newsom requested that all bars and restaurants shut down to only take out and delivery services, Mischner and Malkin were faced with the reality that much of their staff would be in financial trouble. 

Malkin realized, “We were left with an impossible choice that became an obvious one. Do we lay our staff off knowing it would be impossible for them to pay their bills, do we keep operating under the new restrictions with a guaranteed drastic drop in sales and tips, or do we take the hit ourselves and make sure our staff is taken care of?” 

Before the pandemic, Little Miss Brewing was running five successful locations and tasting rooms in Miramar, La Mesa, East Village, Normal Heights, and Escondido. The plan was to expand in 2020 with a few additional locations, which they had been saving for but hadn’t yet signed any lease agreements.

“We had some cash on hand to try and weather the storm. Our staff didn't. The morally obvious choice is to take care of our staff, our friends, and our family,” said Malkin. “So we made the decision that during this pandemic we would give all the proceeds from to-go orders to our bartenders.”

Little Miss Brewing has a staff of 25, of which, five work in Escondido.

On March 19, the California Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC) released new, temporary guidelines that allow craft distilleries to accept orders of up to 2.25 liters per person, per day. Distilleries can sell pre-packaged to-go and delivery orders only, which must be transported like any alcohol purchase - in the trunk of a vehicle or unoccupied area of the car. Distilleries must also post these rules somewhere in their bar or restaurant.

With the public health order in place, Little Miss Brewing let all their customers know that 100% of proceeds from any order would be given to their staff, servers, and bartenders. 

“We made sure to post on social media about it asking friends and patrons to support our staff by buying beer and by sharing our posts,” Malkin said. The couple also opened a GoFundMe campaign to raise additional funds for their staff.

And their patrons have stepped up to help. “Quite frankly, we were overwhelmed with the support from the community. Between all of our locations, we have over a thousand shares, and while our numbers are still down, our staff is going to be okay,” said Malkin.   

Little Miss Brewing opened its first brewery in Miramar in June 2016 and its first tasting room at the same location later that year in December. Its five tasting locations opened shortly after, with the Escondido location opening in September 2019 at 123 North Kalmia Street in the heart of the downtown district. 

“We chose downtown Escondido because it's obvious that within the next five years it will be the epicenter of nightlife for inland North County,” Malkin said. “We intentionally chose a small spot to lease, because all we sell is our craft beer. We do offer burger bench delivery to our customers as well.”

They feel Escondido is one of their most successful locations in large part because of the strong Escondido community. “Of all of our locations, the people of Escondido and our patrons in Escondido are the most welcoming and courteous. It's like having all the advantages of a bigger city but with a small town feel,” Malkin added.

That is the exact kind of patron Little Miss Brewing has been hoping for since its inception. “Our focus for all our locations is to be a regular spot for locals,” he said.

They also want to give patrons a reason to make their tasting rooms a place they will continue to frequent and make their local hangout. Malkin explained, “For example, we offer a mug club that is $20 annually. It's popular with over 200 members already.”

Another reason Malkin feels Little Miss Brewing made the right choice opening in Escondido is the way the City supports its business owners - especially now when this pandemic has so many business owners scrambling to stay afloat and understand their rights, responsibilities, and how they can get assistance.

“I've received more useful information about the pandemic and ways to help businesses from the City of Escondido, Escondido Business News,  and the Escondido Downtown Business Association than I have from any other city or entity. I'm thoroughly impressed with the amount and quality of the information being disseminated,” Malkin said.

Malkin added that this comes as no surprise as Escondido’s business success has become a model for future tasting room locations. “Even before the pandemic, we made a decision to try and replicate the success we've had in Escondido for all future locations, focusing on locations that are similar to Escondido.”

In the meantime, all Little Miss Brewing tasting rooms are open from 4-to-8 p.m. daily, selling beer to go, except for the East Village tasting room. Customers who would prefer delivery services should call bartenders Ethan or Jason at 760-805-4611 or 619-781-7580 respectively.

Under normal circumstances, Little Miss Brewing is a regular donor to charities and charity festivals. The brewery often donates kegs to events and nonprofits around town. “We do events with local nonprofits at our tasting rooms including, for example, the Girl Scouts.” But for now, all extra proceeds are going to the brewery’s dedicated staff. 

They plan to continue to donate to local charities once the pandemic restrictions are lifted. Additionally, Little Miss Brewing has plans to celebrate as soon as they can. Malkin added, “When we get back to normal, we are going to throw a customer appreciation/essential business party.”

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A North County Winery Lets Patrons Sip and Share in these Trying Times

Novelist George R.R. Martin said, “Wine makes all things possible.” Understanding the possibilities in sharing, Ray Schnorr and Jeannine O’Brien, owners and operators of Highland Valley Vineyards, found a way to give to those in need during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The boutique winery, located in Highland Valley, is donating 20% of its gross wine revenues to the San Diego Food Bank until at least May 15. 

From the beginning, Schnorr and O’Brien wanted to do something to help. “We saw other businesses offering discounts or free shipping as a means to help their customers and maintain their business. We gave it some thought and decided to take a different approach to helping others,” Schnorr said. 

“The idea of supporting the Food Bank came about because of the connection between wine and food. With the stay-at-home order, our patrons are home, cooking healthy meals paired with great wines. It’s one of the positive side effects of the current crisis.”

Schnorr realizes that this kind of giving will give his customers a feeling that they are doing their part as well. “We hope this is an even more rewarding experience knowing a portion of their purchase is going to help the less fortunate in our community enjoy their own meal that evening.”

Wine has always been part of the couple’s life. They have been wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts for as long as they can remember. In 2004, they created their first batch of wine in their garage. As amateur enthusiasts, they planted vines in their Rancho Bernardo backyard to share with friends. Three years later, their red wine was winning top awards at the San Diego County Fair. 

“People kept asking if they could buy our wine,” Schnorr said. And so, the inspiration to start a small commercial operation began. Thanks in part to a 2006 county ordinance that allowed boutique wineries to open tasting rooms, in 2007, they purchased three acres in Highland Valley and built a commercial operation. 

“We were inspired by the success as amateurs,” said Schnorr. “We were able to scale that from the amateur status to professional status and win even more awards as professionals.”

Since the start of their operations, Schnorr and O’Brien have been doing it all together. “We are co-owners and co-winemakers,” O’Brien said. 

O’Brien, who runs daily operations, writes the tasting notes, and manages quality assurance, has advanced her knowledge in wine-making by becoming a Level One Sommelier. She will also soon complete her Wine Business Certification from San Diego State University and is studying to advance to a Level Two Sommelier.  

Like the craft brewery scene in North County, boutique wineries are fast becoming a growing market. “With the advent of the ordinance, the number of small boutique wineries has exploded. When we were first making amateur wines, there were eight wineries in the whole county. Today, there are over 140 that are active,” said Schnorr. 

Specifically in Highland Valley, there are eight wineries and a total of about 25 in Escondido. O’Brien thinks this gives Escondido residents a closer avenue to great wines than driving to other select wine areas in California and it gives wine enthusiasts something new to try. “Because of the boutique nature, the Temecula scene is very different from San Diego.” The closer location also means, “people can spend an afternoon bouncing between these wineries right here in Escondido.” 

The tasting room at Highland Valley Vineyards will be open on Saturdays and Sundays. This is when most customers come in to taste wines and make purchases. Wines are also available for purchase online and through the Vineyard’s wine club.  

“At least half of the customers that walk in our door are from Escondido,” said O’Brien, adding that many of them are also part of the wine club. That is another reason, he said, why giving to the San Diego Food Bank made sense. 

“Jannine did some research on what we could do for giving back,” said Schnorr. “The San Diego Food Bank came up and they have a branch in Escondido.”

They have let all customers know that every purchase is going to help feed their neighbors. “We’ve sent out a newsletter announcing that and we had really good traffic last week,” Schnorr said.

“We are also seeing an uptick in the orders online,” O’Brien added. “We had another person who ordered wine for her family. She’s sending it out to all her kids. There’s nothing better than getting a little something in the mail. It’s just another pay-it-forward kind of thing.”

Giving isn’t new to the wine-making duo. They often donate to charity events and galas throughout San Diego. “We literally could give away all our wine at these events,” Schnorr said. The charities that they support on a regular basis include STEP (Support the Enlisted Project) - an organization that helps families of enlisted military who are facing financial difficulties and the Palomar Family YMCA.

Schnorr and O’Brien also like to celebrate their successes with their wine club. Three times a year, they have an event they call the “Pick Up Party.” At this party, members receive three bottles of the winery's newest releases and the event includes wine tasting, food and music. Past parties have included themes such as a Greek party dedicated to the god of wine and fertility, Dionysus, with guests coming dressed in togas; and a Western themed party complete with a chuck wagon and barbeque chef. 

The couple is tentatively planning a summer party with a baseball theme and guests will be asked to don clothes that represent their favorite team.

While the winery is still open, the couple too has felt the effects of the country’s shutdown. Business is slower, but as Schnorr said, “it’s still enough to cover our fixed costs and help us basically get through. That is our goal right now.”

Even while they are trying to maintain their business, Schnorr and O’Brien feel the need to make helping others a priority.  As Schnorr said, “The virus crisis is affecting everyone, but in particular, the thousands who have recently lost employment. The San Diego Food Bank provides a nutritional safety net and we are proud to support their efforts in this time of particular need.” 

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