Waldschanke Ciders Took a Hit During a Recent Storm

"If we could just have a normal year, that would be great," says Kelley Dufresne, who owns Waldschänke Ciders at 4100 Jason Street with her husband and father-in-law.

The business has overcome plenty of challenges since it opened in October 2019, just five months before the pandemic forced all bars and restaurants to stop indoor service. But things were looking bright by this year. "We were like, 'This is gonna be such a good summer,'" Dufresne recalls. "Then this."

"This" was a freak accident on Sunday, July 23, when a quick-moving storm blew through the area, bringing strong gusts of wind. "We're used to it getting windy through this corridor," Dufresne says. "It happens with the new high-rises."

When the wind started picking up that day, employees helped patrons move inside to the production area. "The staff was super quick and calm," she recalls. "Three seconds after the bartender got people off the patio, scaffolding [from the building next door] came crashing down."

The noise was so loud, "we first thought it was lighting," she adds. "I don't think any of us knew what happened until we saw it."

When the team went outside after the storm had dissipated, it quickly became clear that the accident could have had a much different outcome. The heavy metal framework was scattered all over, and there were live wires, as some power lines had been cut. There was even one pole that had fallen directly through the ceiling. "It was like a Final Destination movie," Dufresne says.
"Thank goodness for all the patrons being so calm," she notes. "If something like this had to happen, the way it happened was crazy lucky. ... No one was injured, let alone worse." A few cars belonging to patrons were damaged, however, and those parked in Waldschänke's lot were trapped overnight until the debris could be removed. "Two to three bicycles were also severely damaged, one of which was a rare collector's item/model," Dufresne adds.

But most of the damage was in the attic space and not the taproom itself. "My husband and father-in-law put in fourteen-hour days on Monday and Tuesday to clean up," Dufresne says. With approval from a structural engineer, Waldschänke was able to reopen on Wednesday, July 26. But the current fixes are temporary, which means that sometime in the coming weeks, the cidery will have to close for several days, perhaps a week or more, for further repairs.

The biggest concern now is making sure the staff gets paid during that closure. "Especially with the crew being so calm through all of this, we want to make sure we take care of them," she says. "That's still up in the air, which is nerve-racking."

Some supporters have asked if there are plans to start a GoFundMe; Dufresne says the owners haven't made a decision on that, since the team is still looking into various options. For now, the best way to show support is to visit or buy a gift card, "just to help us keep open through all the repairs," she notes.

Right now, she's just hoping that things return to business as usual sooner rather than later. "It's scary. You work so hard to build up a business, especially through COVID. ... As a business owner, you want people to feel safe here," she says. "Not that this is something we could have helped, but it still happened."

It shouldn't happen again, though. Dufresne has been told that the building next door is using a new company with a more robust scaffolding setup. "When the new one goes up, it will be secure," she notes.