Iris Nova, a direct-to-consumer beverage startup backed by Coca-Cola, laid off half of its workforce in late March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted its retail and wholesale operations. The company, known for brands like Dirty Lemon, let go nine employees, which represented 50% of its staff at the time. This drastic cut was a direct response to the near-total collapse of its brick-and-mortar and hospitality partnerships, which had constituted nearly half of its business, following widespread shutdowns of non-essential businesses. While the company's direct-to-consumer sales via text messaging surged during the pandemic, the sudden loss of revenue from retail channels forced this restructuring to focus resources on its core DTC delivery model.
