Breweries Closing

I was getting ready to say... Steelhead is a good IPA.

 

When Harrisonburg, VA is on the verge of having 2 craft breweries--there's definitely a bubble.

 

Yeah, but it is a question that gets asked WAAAAAYYYY too much around here.

 

I went to UCI so whenever I could handle visiting my friends in deep OC we would meet at Steelhead. It's been years since I've been there but the burgers were pretty fucking good at least back then.

 

Steelhead had mediocre beer and food. That isn't the reason they are leaving. The Irvine Company (huge landlord and developer in OC) is kicking them out. They do that to a lot of places.

 

I can't imagine this is much different from the success rate of a small business. Not all of them are going to succeed.

 

The day the feds start forcing lenders to loan money to beer geeks who can't afford Dark Lord Day on their own will be the day I start worrying about a "bubble" in the craft beer world.

 

This^^^^^
And if they're brewing mediocre beer then they are destined to fail.

 

Businesses close sometimes

 

Let's talk about it when more a closing than opening. A few have folded in NC. A lot more are opening and some will no doubt close. Seems like there are some hobbyists out there as well. Drive through Asheville--bubble is expanding.

 

Are there any breweries in Asheville that don't get much love?

 

There are a lot of holes to still fill for American beer. In numbers for the consumers to attract to the good stuff, and for the variety of beer available, as well as the options for its place.

 

I think it's important to understand that a brewpub is really 80% restaurant and 20% brewery. The beer can make or break you, but the location, kitchen/food, (mis)management and personal can have just as strong an impact on success or failure.

 

Hard to say--can't keep up with the scene it moves so fast. There are some newcomers that I haven't had yet and with SN and NB on the horizon with their expansions, suspect there will be more attention on everyone up there.

I think Highland doesn't get the credit they deserve--next year they will be 20 yo-not many folks in this industry can claim that. They don't make much that "pushes the envelope" but about everything they make is solid and would pick it on tap in a heartbeat.

 

I will agree with duluoz on this, as well as the fact it's basic economics of supply and demand. A lot of people put to much capital into opening a brewery/pub without first doing their homework. The profit margin is good if you keep your overhead to sales ratio in mind.

 

Offering only Soylent Green Ale engineered from the remains of the vanquished brewers.

 

Good restaurants close all the time, it doesn't mean people are not as excited about food just that there is competition and not every can be overly successful, same goes with breweries.

 

Don't worry team.. I'm pretty sure there will be 4 new breweries are opening later today!!

 

I saw a post through a post on facebook that there is a turnkey brewery for sale in Illinois somewhere. Something like 15BBL brewhouse with 1000BBL a year capacity? For about a million.
Anyone know anything about this? Was it someone in business and closed down, or ran out of money before brewing (alternatively didn't get license?)

 

It's on the ProBrewer forum - Turnkey Brewery for Sale in IL but "No further details as we need confidentiality."