Charlotte brewery defends itself as more COVID-19 cases linked to Mecktoberfest

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery defended its three-day beer festival as county health officials have linked five COVID-19 cases to the September event.

“Our restaurant and Biergarten remains a safe, relaxing place,” founder John Marrino said in an online letter posted Tuesday. “Our main concern is that this ‘snapshot’ of a three-day event that was virtually perfect at all other times, has distorted people’s perceptions of the overall event and our brewery.

“For all but a few hours of the weekend, and for the vast majority of attendees, the event was near perfect, and everyone practiced good social distancing,” he said.

Public Health Director Gibbie Harris last week urged anyone who had been to OMB’s Mecktoberfest on Sept. 25-27 to get tested for the coronavirus after two cases were linked to the event that attracted thousands of people.

Harris told county commissioners Tuesday there are now three more COVID-19 cases linked to OMB’S Mecktoberfest.

There are probably more cases that have gone undetected, based on the lack of social distancing and mask-wearing seen in videos of Mecktoberfest circulating on social media, she said.

“We need to state emphatically that people have been tested that went to (Olde) Mecklenburg Brewery and that we have five people who are positive,” said George Dunlap, chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners.

“And if five people are positive, chances are there are more that are positive. They might not feel the symptoms — they could be asymptomatic. But they still need to be tested,” he said Tuesday after a commissioners meeting.

However, Marrino said the only attendees who “absolutely should get tested” are those who were there late Saturday.

“Although we accept that Saturday evening was less than perfect and regret that deeply, we also reject any assertion that the rest of the event was not exceptional, and that our day-to-day operations are not as safe or safer than any other restaurant or brewery in this city,” Marrino said in the letter.

OMB addresses the situation

Marrino said a small number of visitors ignored requirements to wear masks and social distance, despite the staff’s efforts to control the situation. But the majority of customers followed health guidelines, he said.

“While we don’t know if they contracted it at our event, we share her (and the public’s) concern and take the situation very seriously,” Marrino said in the statement.

On Saturday morning, the brewery helped host a free drive-thru testing event, forging one of the most unusual but targeted screening initiatives to date around Charlotte. The testing was in partnership with the county Health Department and Starmount Healthcare. But only 137 people showed up, and two tested positive, Harris said.

Marrino said the brewery will continue to disinfect every day and follow health safety guidelines. It will also ensure customers comply with social distancing measures, he said.

The brewery on Yancey Road has about 150 employees.

“We will continue our mission, learn, improve and move forward. ... We’d simply ask that you visit the brewery at your convenience and judge for yourself,” Marrino said.

The Mecklenburg County Young Republicans and the Uptown Republican Women are hosting a joint social at the brewery on Wednesday, according to a group email.

An official with OMB was not immediately available for comment.

This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 7:10 PM.