WHO ARE WE, YOU ASK?

With the heaviest of hearts, we are announcing something we hoped we’d never have to: Proc has closed its doors.

From the outside, it may have looked like we were happily thriving, but behind closed doors we have been silently battling a number of hardships. Along with losing our founder—and my husband—suddenly in December 2020, we spent the past six years defending ourselves against a lawsuit from a minority partner. This costly legal battle limited our financial options while draining resources that could have been reinvested into the business—resources that might have helped us better withstand lingering post-COVID challenges and industry shifts driven by changes in the economy, as well as evolving drinking and social habits.

Every single day, the entire Proclamation team worked incredibly hard to keep pushing forward, searching for clearer paths. But eventually, there comes a time when you have to accept there are no more paths.

I walked into this as the support system for Dave’s dream. When he came to me with the wild idea of opening a brewery, I was working full-time as a packaging designer at CVS and pregnant with our daughter Harper. In the summer of 2013, while on maternity leave, I created the Proclamation logo and the first label designs for Tendril, Broze, Zzzlumber, and Plattelander.

For the first three years, I supported the brewery with any graphic design it needed, helping bring the brand to life while Dave made an immediate impact on the beer scene with what he was brewing. In 2017, as the brewery grew and moved to a larger location, I left my position at CVS and joined Dave and the Proc team full-time, taking on all graphic design needs, social media, and marketing. 

Dave and I enjoyed the heyday of the craft beer scene together from 2017 to 2019. Then came 2020. First COVID, then the lawsuit. And then our world was completely turned upside down when Dave was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in November and passed away just one month later, on December 25, 2020.

While grieving my husband and navigating life as an only parent to a 7-year-old, I forged ahead. Without hesitation, I took the helm at Proc, and my team followed. I did it for Dave, for my Procfam, for the community, and for myself. It was a way to stay connected to him. I think we all felt that.

Over the years, I’ve tried to honor Dave’s vision as we navigated an ever-changing industry, while also making it my own. We created new beers, hosted new events, and found new ways to connect with our community, all while staying true to who we are. Everything we did was rooted in purpose and love, creating a welcoming, creative, collaborative, respectful, and supportive space for both our employees and our community. Most of all, we took what we did seriously—but never took ourselves too seriously.

 I couldn’t have done it without my dedicated and incredible team. They trusted me and I was able to put my full trust in them. I owe them more than I could ever fully express. I also want to thank every food vendor, event partner, organization, and artist we’ve worked with over the years. Together, we created unforgettable moments in the taproom and parking lot: from trivia, drag bingo, and wrestling to car meets, workshops, markets, open mic nights, book fairs, and so much more. I will deeply miss collaborating with so many passionate, talented people week in and week out.

And last but certainly not least, Proc wouldn’t have been anything without all of you. Thank you for showing up on day one, and for continuing to show up for 12 years. I never imagined this would have taken on the life it did when Dave first came to me with this dream. Thank you for everything.

WHO WE WORKED WITH

Community and civic responsibility was incredibly important to us. We felt responsible to help bring awareness to certain causes that are important to us while we help people in need. We worked with a number of local and national organizations over the years either with events in the taproom or through monetary or food donations.

ACLU
AMENITY AID
AUDUBON SOCIETY OF RI
BETTER LIVES RI
BRAVE NOISE BEER
COLOR OF CHANGE
DORCAS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RI
FARM FRESH RI
GIRL SCOUTS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
GIRLS ON THE RUN RI
HASBRO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
HAUS OF CODEC
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY RI
NORA’S HAVEN
PAWTUXET RIVER AUTHORITY AND WATERSHED COUNCIL
PROJECT CONFIDENCE
PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
PROVIDENCE GAY FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE
RHODE HOME RESCUE
RI BLOOD CENTER
RI FOOD BANK
RI FOUNDATION
RIOT RI
RISPCA
ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO
SAVE THE BAY
SKATE LIKE A GIRL
SOJOURNER HOUSE
SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
WILDLIFE CLINIC OF RI
YOUTH PRIDE RI