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British beer giant is shutting NINE pubs today including its flagship bar with 100 jobs at risk – is one going near you?

British beer giant is shutting NINE pubs today including its flagship bar with 100 jobs at risk – is one going near you?

The Sun2 days ago
IT'S a sad day for BrewDog fans as NINE of its iconic pubs are closing today.
On Friday, the former punk poster child for craft beer even axed their most popular London watering hole in Camden.
Union officials have blasted bosses at the pub chain on social media following claims that staff were given just three days' notice.
The full list of BrewDog pubs closing today are:
Aberdeen flagship (Gallowgate)
Brighton
Dundee
Leeds North Street
Oxford
Sheffield
Shepherds Bush
Shoreditch
York
The brand's huge Camden branch closed on Friday, despite it being one of the company's most popular pubs.
Details on the number of potential jobs that could be lost as a result of the closures are unknown at this stage.
However, bosses at BrewDog have said they are undergoing an appropriate consultation process with all affected staff which will last a minimum of two weeks.
They added that there will be one-to-one meetings with every member of staff who is at risk of redundancy.
But they confirmed that "every effort will be made to made to redeploy as many members of staff as possible."
Unite Hospitality shared the news with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It read: "Brew Dog have announced that they are closing 10 flagship bars from Aberdeen to Camden, as soon as THIS FRIDAY!
"In what universe is THREE DAYS a morally (or legally) acceptable notice period for a proper redundancy consultation for the workers impacted?!"
BrewDog's James Watt & fiancee Georgia Toffolo spark backlash with 'cringeworthy' video about their relationship
A statement from CEO James Taylor was posted on the shareholders' forum announcing that closures come as part of a "strategic review".
He explained that the firm has "faced continued challenges" in the UK, including "rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures", which have resulted in the closures.
He said: "Despite our best efforts, it has simply not been possible to find a formula to make these bars viable due to their size, location and other limiting factors."
Taylor added: "Keeping them open would put pressure on the wider business, making it harder to invest where we know we can grow.
"This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division's focus.
"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".
In an internal note shared amongst staff, Taylor said: "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."
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A spokesperson for BrewDog told The Scottish Sun: 'We can confirm that following a review of our bars business, we have made the difficult decision to close ten bars.
"This reflects a more focused strategy and a rationalisation of our bar footprint.
"Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable.
'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'.
The Sun has also contacted BrewDog representatives for comment.
BrewDog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie.
It bulldozed its way into the beer scene, flipping two fingers to the lager giants and slapping 'anti-establishment' on every can.
In 2024, Watt stepped down from his CEO role after 17 years in the hot seat.
He passed the baton to chief operating officer James Arrow as the "business pushed forward into its next phase of growth".
But in March this year, Arrow stepped down from the hefty role due, citing "personal reasons".
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