Vander Mill Taphouse Temporarily Closes Until Spring 2023, Privately Blaming Staff

We all love a little messy drama, but not when it involves the livelihood of others.

But that's exactly what happened this week when the Vander Mill Taphouse decided to close their Taphouse suddenly until Spring 2023.

If you check their social media pages, you'll see what seems like an innocent preservation of the business during the colder and less busy months:

However, employees are saying that their point of view is different, saying that the owners have named a specific staff member's sick time for being the reason why they are temporarily closing to the public.

According to a post made on the Grand Rapids Subreddit, staff members were given no notice that the taproom would be closing suddenly. While the email they were sent seemed kind, when the unnamed staff member texted to ask more, they were told it was because the rest of the staff wasn't pulling their weight while a manager was out on sick leave.

The taproom still plans to be open for any previously scheduled private events, this leaves their current staff without regular jobs going to holiday season, which can be devastating due to higher than average bills during this time of year. Not to mention how hard it is to find another job at the end of the year quickly to supplement the income they may have lost.

However, the owners have issued a statement about the rumors:

The unprofessional and inappropriate comments made by a few individuals are unfortunate and inaccurate. The hospitality industry continues to struggle to find staffing and we are no exception. We have communicated this to our employees in the past weeks and months, so it should not have come as a surprise. We look forward to serving customers in the taproom again this coming spring. We will continue to produce and distribute our ciders to retailers around Michigan and beyond. Please check our website and social media for the many ways to experience our ciders made from local Michigan apples.

Sending well wishes to the entire staff that has been effected, and keep you eyes to see if and when they plan to reopen the taphouse this spring.