Brewer and pub chain Brewdog has announced 10 flagship bars around the UK will be closed – with unions saying it could happen ‘in days’. The chain has confirmed the venues will closeon Saturday and claimed they were not ‘commercially viable’.
In a message to staff CEO James Taylor thanked the impacted staff and said ‘this is not a decision we’ve taken lightly’. The 10 bars include three in Yorkshire, two in Scotland, and those in Camden, Brighton and Oxford. A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “We can confirm that following a review of our bars business we have made the difficult decision to close 10 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. 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.”
“Regarding the notice period, we are going through a meaningful and appropriate consultation process with all affected staff. It will last a minimum of 14 days, there will be one to one meetings for every member of staff who is at risk of redundancy and every effort will be made to made to redeploy as many members of staff as possible. A full range of wellbeing and outplacement support will be available to all affected employees.”
Union unite said: “@BrewDog have announced that they are closing 10 flagship bars from Aberdeen to Camden, as soon as THIS FRIDAY! In what universe is 3 DAYS a morally (or legally) acceptable notice period for a proper redundancy consultation for the workers impacted?!”
Full list of bars closing
- Aberdeen Flagship (Gallowgate)
- Brighton
- Camden
- Dundee
- Leeds North Street
- Oxford
- Sheffield
- Shepherds Bush
- Shoreditch
- York
Mr Taylor said in his note to staff: “Today we are announcing an important update to our bar business in the UK with a more focused strategy and the rationalisation of our bar footprint. This is part of the wider refresh we have set out, and it aligns with our renewed focus on innovation, quality, and a new brand identity. It positions our bar portfolio for long-term, profitable growth, but also takes into account the continued challenges facing the UK hospitality industry, including rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures. Unfortunately, this will result in some bar closures.”
He said instead the company would focus on what he called ‘core pillars’:
- Destination Hubs – large-format, high impact immersive venues like Waterloo, Las Vegas, Tower Hill, Berlin, Brisbane and Dublin that are brand flagships.
- Community Bars – smaller, local spaces that create deep connections with local communities.
He added: “As part of this strategic review, we have made the difficult decision to close 10 bars. This includes some venues that are woven into our history, including Aberdeen, which was our first ever bar, and Camden, the first bar we opened in London. Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of the teams in each of these bars, it has simply not been possible to find a formula to make these bars viable due to their size, location and other limiting factors.
“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.”
