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San Francisco’s respected company and the nation’s first craft brewery, Anchor Brewing Company, is closing after 127 years.
The brewery was in serious financial trouble and had “millions of dollars a year in losses,” an Anchor spokesperson said. San Francisco Chronicleadded that despite the anchor’s “historic importance”, the lingering effects of the pandemic, inflation and competitive markets made the decision inevitable.
The announcement comes a month after Anchor suspended US distribution and limited sales to California only. Revenue has fallen by two-thirds since 2016, and the pandemic has exacerbated the difficulties, as most of Anchor’s beer was traditionally sold through bars and restaurants.
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Despite attempts to expand retail distribution, the brewery has failed to make significant progress and “has failed to make a breakthrough on a large enough scale,” said an Anchor rep. Chronicle.
Founded in 1896, Anchor Brewing was considered by many to be the first craft brewery in the country. But its acquisition by Japanese beer giant Sapporo in 2017 put the company’s “craft” status in jeopardy. The brewery has ventured into more trendy beer styles, introduced modern taprooms and pilot breweries, and started charging for tours.
Some workers didn’t support drastic changes, worried the anchor was losing its historic charm, Vinepair says report last month.
Brewer Eric Svenberg operates brewing equipment at Anchor Brewing Company on May 2, 2019. Yaronda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle | May 2, 2019.Getty Images
In 2019, workers at Anchor Brewing Company began a union effort driven by concerns. About Sapporo USA’s brand management, its failure to understand the American craft beer market, and its controversial rebranding attempt.
According to Vinepair, despite successfully unionizing and ratifying its first contract in 2020, management last month announced plans to stop selling Anchor’s iconic Christmas ale and scale back distribution. At that time, workers were caught off-guard, further fueling employee dissatisfaction.
“The big companies see it as cost savings, but many of us see it as destroying one of our most cherished traditions. It’s like they don’t care.” an Anchor employee told the media outlet in June.
Sapporo City did not react immediately. entrepreneurial Request for comments.
This morning, I cycled through the Anchor Brewery to work after hearing that all operations were closed. The flag is flying upside down.
A dark, dark day for beer lovers in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/0UL5xyAWHT
— Grant Marek (@Grant_Marek) July 12, 2023
But while the buyer may intervene during the Anchor closing and asset sale process, a spokesperson for Anchor said: Chronicle It means that “repeated efforts” to find new buyers have failed.
“The Anchors have always had a special place in the beer world and in San Francisco,” they told the magazine. ”[We] I was out of cash and out of time. ”
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