Making adjustments to the offerings at his restaurant in Amherstburg, Ont., David Hayes has once again modified the menu by replacing one liquor with another. Gilligan’s Amherstburg, known as a family restaurant and bar, has decided to remove Crown Royal whisky from its selection following the closure of the Diageo bottling plant in town. This closure is anticipated to result in over 200 job losses in February.
Hayes expressed his connection to the affected individuals, stating, “We have a lot of people that work in town that frequent here all the time, their families. A lot of guys like to come here after work. I’ve gotten to know them. It hits home on a personal level that way as well for sure.”
Earlier this year, amid escalating trade tensions with the United States and the LCBO removing American liquor from shelves, Hayes switched from using Jack Daniels to Crown Royal in a burger on his menu.
Now, Hayes disclosed that he would need to remove the Crown Royal burger from the menu as well, but he remains optimistic about collaborating with local suppliers to introduce a new burger option.
Reflecting on the pride displayed by workers at Diageo’s Crown Royal parent company, Hayes emphasized the town’s cautious atmosphere following the plant closure announcement. He mentioned, “There’s a fear that spreads beyond just that. If it can happen to the number one employer in town, it could probably happen to any number of places.”
Diageo announced the closure of the Amherstburg plant, located approximately 25 kilometers from the nearest U.S. border crossing, as part of a strategy to optimize its supply chain and bring bottling operations closer to U.S. consumers.
The company assured that Crown Royal will continue its Canadian production process of mashing, aging, and distilling, maintaining operations in the Greater Toronto Area, Gimli, Man., and Valleyfield, Que.
Furthermore, all Crown Royal sold in Canada will be bottled domestically.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford made headlines by emptying a bottle of Crown Royal whisky while delivering an unrelated announcement in Kitchener, Ont., on Tuesday.