Scottish craft beer group BrewDog has closed all of its bars for a day to complete the sale of the company. This marks a pivotal moment for one of Britain’s best-known independent brewers.
The Aberdeenshire-based company confirmed that none of its sites would be opening on Monday to allow staff to attend company-wide meetings and to comply with licensing requirements related to an expected change in ownership.
Chief executive James Taylor told employees in an internal email that the temporary closure was necessary to ensure colleagues across the global company could be informed directly about the next stage of the process.
“We know this is an unsettling time for everyone, and we want to ensure that all colleagues have the opportunity to hear directly from us about what happens next,” he wrote.
“To enable everyone to participate and to address licensing issues arising from an anticipated change in ownership, we have decided not to open any of our bars tomorrow.”
Food and beer deliveries and customer bookings for the day have also been cancelled.
The development follows BrewDog’s announcement earlier this month that it had appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee a structured and competitive process to evaluate strategic options, including a possible sale. The move comes after the company reported persistent losses in recent years, most recently a loss of £37 million in 2024.
Founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog quickly grew from a rebel challenger brand into a global operator with around 60 bars in the UK and a presence in the US, Australia and Germany. At its peak, the group was worth more than a billion pounds and became a symbol of the craft beer revolution.
However, the company is facing increasing financial and reputational problems. In October last year, the company announced job cuts across the company. Earlier this year the company confirmed the closure of 10 UK bars, including its flagship Aberdeen location, and stopped production of its gin and vodka lines at its Ellon distillery to focus on its core beer business.
BrewDog currently employs around 1,400 people worldwide, most of them in the UK.
Corporate law experts say the closure of the bars suggests the sale process is entering a more advanced and formal phase.
James Howell, managing director of Rubric Law, said the situation reflected a shift from exploratory discussions to a tightly managed M&A campaign.
“What is happening at BrewDog is a clear example of what happens when performance falls short of expectations,” he said. “After several years of losses and continued cost pressures, the decision to appoint advisers and undertake a competitive process is about valuation and business certainty and not just finding a buyer.”
“In practice, consultants will structure bidding rounds, manage the flow of information and drive comparable offers. This framework is even more important when profitability is under scrutiny, as it protects value and prevents opportunistic pricing by early bidders.”
He added that buyers will likely focus heavily on margins, leasing presence and operational efficiency, rather than just brand strength.
“Brand alone can’t fill gaps in fundamentals,” Howell said. “One of the biggest legal risks in such a process is lack of preparedness. If issues arise during due diligence – contracts, governance or shareholder rights – they can quickly impact valuation or derail momentum.”
The ownership structure of the company can also complicate the process. BrewDog has previously raised capital through its Equity for Punks crowdfunding program, which resulted in a broad base of minority shareholders. Alignment and drag-along provisions are critical to the smooth execution of any transaction.
BrewDog’s career has also been marked by changes in leadership. James Watt stepped down as chief executive in 2024, taking on the role of “captain and co-founder”, while Martin Dickie left the company last year for personal reasons. Watt faced scrutiny over allegations about workplace culture highlighted in a BBC documentary, but a subsequent complaint to Ofcom was rejected.
The group’s shift from aggressive expansion to austerity reflects broader pressures in the hospitality sector as rising costs, weaker consumer spending and higher borrowing rates squeeze margins across the sector.
For now, BrewDog insists it will resume business as usual after the one-day closure. But the coordinated closure of all bars underlines the seriousness of the situation.
Whether the result is an outright sale, a demerger or a recapitalization, the process marks the end of an era for a brand that once defined the UK’s craft beer rebellion and now must grapple with the realities of scale, profitability and investor expectations.
