22-07-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
First ever BrewDog bar to shut as brand announces wave of closures
BrewDog's first ever bar, which is located in Aberdeen and described as 'the flagship' by brewers, is due to close its doors for good.
BrewDog Gallowgate in Aberdeen has been open since 2010 and in that time has 'introduced thousands of people' to the company and its craft beer.
However, a strategic review by the Ellon-based global firm has decided it is now the end of the road for the city centre bar.
The company describes the venue as being 'woven into our history'.
It is one of 10 across the UK to close, in which BrewDog described as being a 'difficult decision'.
Their first bar in London, located in Camden, is also set to go, in a decision that was not 'taken lightly'.
The company acknowledged the 'best efforts' and 'hard work' of the teams in the affected bars.
However, they conceded they had not been able to 'find a formula to make these bars viable'.
Size, location and other 'limiting factors' were put down as major sticking points.
An email seen by The Press and Journal to BrewDog staff said: 'Following much consideration, we have sadly concluded that there is no realistic prospect of making these venues commercially viable.
'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.'
Staff have been reassured by the business they 'expect to redeploy affected team members across the BrewDog network'.
For those leaving, the company has promised to 'provide as much support as possible'.
The consultation process for affected staff will last no less than 14 days and will be extended if necessary to complete a 'meaningful consultation'.
A spokesman for BrewDog said: 'We can confirm that following a review of our bars business we have made the difficult decision to close ten bars, which 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.'
