Brian Dailey could not believe the number was real. After more than a decade operating Scorpion Brewing in eastern Maryland, the building he leased was sold to a new owner in late 2023. That new owner proposed raising his rent by a staggering 238%. When negotiations went nowhere, Dailey opted to close the brewery. Last call came this past St. Patrick’s Day.
There are nearly 10,000 breweries operating in the United States, and many of them rent the warehouses or storefronts that house their equipment and taprooms. Since the beginning of 2024, quite a few have taken to social media to announce closures, citing landlord issues as the primary reason.
It seems the era of good will that existed during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which some rents were lowered or forgiven, is over. Some brewers say landlords are making up for that time with astronomical rent increases and bad-faith deals.
Landlord Squabbles and a Covid Hangover
“We have vigorously tried to sign a lease extension with our landlord to no avail, as our next-door neighbor has leased out the space from underneath us,” wrote Jamie Queli of New Jersey’s Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing in a January Facebook post. “We are extremely disappointed and quite frankly, appalled at the actions of both companies and their adamant refusals to negotiate with us.” The brewery closed at the end of February.
More recently, Little Animals Brewery in Johnson City, Tennessee, closed its doors following a rough patch that continued past COVID as a
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
