Brewdog North Street: Leeds bar among 10 to close as craft beer chain faces 'extremely difficult' hospitality market challenges
Craft beer giant Brewdog has confirmed the closure of one of its bars in Leeds as it has not been possible to make it “commercially viable”.
The Scottish brewery and pub group has confirmed that it will close 10 bars today (Tuesday) across the UK, including its flagship branch in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The bar on North Street is also earmarked for closure, with a spokesperson saying that a 14-day consultation process will begin for all staff at risk of redundancy. They have said that it will try to redeploy those affected.
The other bars earmarked for closure are in Dundee, Brighton, Oxford, Sheffield, York and three in London.
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A spokesperson for Brewdog confirmed the “difficult decision”, saying: “Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable.
“This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market, but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division’s focus for long-term and profitable growth – accounting for ongoing industry challenges, including rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures.
“We are working hard to minimise the impact on our people, and we expect to redeploy many affected team members across the BrewDog network. For those leaving the business, we’re providing as much support as possible during this transition. We remain passionate and firmly committed to our bars, and optimistic about the future, as we still see significant long-term opportunity”.
In a letter to the company’s employees, CEO James Watt, who co-founded the company in 2007, acknowledged that some of the bars closing are “woven into our history” but said that keeping them open would “put pressure on the wider business”.
He said that the current industry market was “extremely difficult”, saying: “This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. But as we evolve BrewDog into a more focused and sustainable business, we’ve had to be honest about where we are - and where we’re heading.”
He added: “To everyone who worked in these bars, and every customer who supported them - thank you. These bars helped make BrewDog what it is today, and we’re grateful for your support over the years.
“This decision is about focus. It’s about putting our energy, resources, and investment into bars that are working - and giving our teams the strongest possible foundation for the future.”