This 1948 Ford F5 Is Helping a Brewery Stay Afloat During Tough Times
The 1948 Ford F5 rolling billboard has done everything from delivering beer to hauling Santa Clause around town.
Many businesses have taken a big financial hit, some even being forced to shut their doors for good, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes a lot of restaurants and even breweries, many of which just couldn’t keep going amid elongated shutdowns. In the case of Chicago’s Open Outcry Brewing Company, however, a little bit of clever thinking and a 1948 Ford F5 have helped keep the lights on even in the worst of times.
When the pandemic set in last year, Open Outcry’s owner, John Brand, met with his team to brainstorm ideas to keep everyone on the payroll even though the brewery’s doors would be closed indefinitely. It took only 48 hours for them to come up with a plan for deliveries and curbside pickups, one that would soon include this very 1948 Ford F5.
The truck had been parked on the street by Brand’s house for years, but the owner, Brian Enright, refused to sell it, no matter how much he inquired. But one day, it showed up in front of the brewery, and Enright let Brand drive it for a month. One month later, the former farm truck and brush fire truck was his, and soon it was living a new life as a giant rolling billboard for Open Outcry Brewing.
“I would not have sold the truck to anyone but John Brand to use for his business,” Enright told the Chicago Tribune. “It was not for sale, but we didn’t really use the truck, we drove it maybe 3 or 4 times per year. People like the truck, it’s fun. I thought it would look cool parked out in front of Open Outcry. John drives the truck by my house every day – I see it and I hear it. I am happy the truck is out and being used. A vehicle needs to run, it can’t just sit. They did a great job restoring it.”
Indeed, Brand took the then-running and driving 1948 Ford F5 to Carriage House Automotive Restorations, which proceeded to give it a mechanical refresh and refurbish the interior and exterior, as well as add cool little details everywhere. They include gauges that replicate the rim of a crowler can, along with running boards that feature the same yellow safety stripes as the brewery’s stairs.
Since its completion, Brand has used the old F5 for all sorts of things – hauling Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny around town, delivering Christmas trees, participating in St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans, parades, and even beer deliveries, to name a few. But perhaps most importantly, it has placed Open Outcry’s brand in front of a lot of eyeballs, helping the brewery and its employees keep trucking along during the worst of times.
Photos: Open Outcry Brewing
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