Oregon Cider Taphouse closes after physical and online harassment over COVID-19 guidelines
Ciderlicious, a popular Eugene, OR hard cider taphouse and food truck pod has suddenly closed because of physical and online bullying stemming from their enforcement of COVID-19 safety mandates. In a social media post, Ciderlicious owners Randy and Karla Nelson thanked their many supporters but blamed “threats of violence, the spitting, the throwing, the yelling, the pushing, the online stalking and abuse” as the last straw.
“The emotional toll from the daily threats and conflicts resulting from honoring our social responsibility related to COVID mandates has gutted us,” wrote the Nelsons while announcing the closure.
While some businesses have been lax, to say the least, about COVID-19’s admittedly confusing and ever changing state safety guidelines, Ciderlicious stepped up to the plate.
“Because your safety matters to us deeply, we took the Covid-related State Mandate seriously and did our absolute damnedest to honor our social responsibility to supporters of our little family-owned cider cart,” continued the Nelsons.
By this time we have all heard about the anti-maskers, vaccination skeptics and the conspiracy proliferating nut jobs, but the sudden closure announcement by Ciderlicious is a visceral reminder of the daily abuse directed at the service industry. As a top destination for craft cider lovers, the Ciderlicious tap truck and food cart pod was arguably the best place to find a large selection in Lane County and one of the best in the entire state. During the pandemic Ciderlicious was successful enough that they nearly tripled their taps from 17 to 42 and expanded their seating capacity to 184. They were so successful that they were planning to open a long awaited second location before having a recent change of heart.
A cider tap truck and garden was a good model during COVID, in the end it wasn’t the lack of people coming out or the capacity restrictions but.
“aggressive behavior by a few but significant entitled tantrum-throwing pseudo-adults has become more prevalent, more vocal, and more abhorrent. Protecting staff and supporters of Ciderlicious from the visceral hate and violence of those haters seems to have stolen the heart of what we once were,” wrote the Nelsons.
Like many other food and drink businesses that have shut down during the pandemic, Ciderlicious is holding out hope that the toxic political atmosphere dissipates and that they may consider giving the business another shot. For now the tap truck is closed, but may be available for special events as the food trucks onsite Easley Does It and Cheese Bliss will continue to operate.
