It’s takes guts to open your own business. And courage to close.

My mate Adam has called last drinks at his pub and I’m so sad and so proud all at the same time.

The Stalwart Alehouse was a dream for Adam and his wife Donna. Adam brewed beer and brought life back to a 100-year-old pub in the main street of Nambour. https://stalwartbrewing.com.au

Last year they celebrated their first birthday in business.

Hanging on for dear life in Nambour’s pub with no fear

They battled and brewed through pandemic restrictions. Through lockdowns and limits on numbers. Long days and late nights. Every small business owner knows you never really stop working when you’re the boss.

Covid-19 has claimed lives and livelihoods. It’s heartbreaking. Businesses big and small have been on their knees at times in the last two years. Scraping through to keep the door open, but when there’s not enough foot traffic coming in, sometimes it’s impossible to keep your head above water.

Adam said January was terrible. Daily sales not enough. And the bills just kept stacking up. So he had to make one of the hardest calls of his life. This Sunday will be his last trading day.

He cried. Telling his daughters was hard. They cried too. Telling his staff was gut wrenching. There’s a sense of responsibility to your work family. And it’s a shock when the final decision has to be made.

When I called Adam to see how he was coping, he was about to dive into a waterfall. A refreshing break from the pressure of one of the longest work weeks of his life.

“I’m bloody sad, but I’m proud of what we’ve done,” he said.

“I gave it a good go.” That’s all you can ask isn’t it?

But he tells me he had to get out before it got too difficult financially.
He doesn’t want to jeopardise his family home and he realised shutting the doors now stems the financial blood loss, and will give him a chance to salvage his first love. Brewing beer.

That dream is still alive.

HIs sister calls him a “Hoptimist”. He’s a glass half full bloke and he’s fond of hops. The kind of guy you want serving you a beer at a bar. That work ethic and entrepreneurship will guide his next adventure. He’ll be putting caps on cans for as long as he can.

But the taps will run dry this weekend at his pub and Adam will look for other work. He was a surveyor before he brewed full time. He’s hopeful he can find a job building roads again. And he’ll keep making beer that’ll sell in pubs and bottleshops. Just not his own venue.

The last few days have been a bittersweet mix of not enough customers and regulars telling him what a shame it is that they won’t have a local pub to visit.

There’s one bloke whose handshake gave Adam the perspective he needed this week.

An older gent came in for a meal and afterwards Adam introduced himself. Turns out the bloke had run pubs for 40 years. He’d really enjoyed the meal and Adam always loves a chat, so they ended up yarning.

Then out of the blue, he shook Adam’s hand and told him that he’d had a son called Adam, who’d been killed in an accident when he was 20 years old.

“I see him everyday,” he said, and they both shed a few tears.

Adam says that shook him. He’s got plenty to live for and he’s trying to be philosophical about understanding life’s hurdles. That’s the lesson he’s given to his two young daughters this week. You dream big and sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan. But that’s not a reason to set your sights low.

Remember that, for every business that folds there’s a family who cries. And a mum, dad and kids who rally. I am in awe of the work and passion it takes to put up a new business sign and take the risk. Not everyone can do it. So support local – buy that beer, coffee, art or idea.

Here’s cheers to you Adam, Donna, Sydney and Isla. And to all the business owners pushing through.

To the dreamers and the doers. The openers and the closers. Hang in there.