Pub chain BrewDog will close 10 bars, blaming ‘extremely difficult’ economic conditions for hospitality.
James Taylor, chief executive, emailed staff to inform them it is no longer viable to keep the sites open. The 10 sites are in Aberdeen, Brighton, Camden, Dundee, Leeds, Oxford, Sheffield, Shepherd’s Bush, Shoreditch and York. The bars will close on Saturday (26 July).
Taylor took over as chief executive five months ago after the company’s founder, James Watt, stood down in 2024.
Taylor wrote: “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.”
According to the latest employment figures from the Office for National Statistics, hospitality has accounted for 45% of all job losses since the October budget, equating to around 13,000 a month.
Hospitality and retail employers have been impacted significantly by a rise in employers’ national insurance contributions and an increase in the national living wage.
BrewDog has not confirmed how many jobs will be affected by the decision to close the 10 bars, but said it was “working hard to minimise the impact on our people”, and that it would follow a “meaningful and appropriate consultation process”.
The company has been the focus of scrutiny over recent years, including allegations that it promoted a toxic work culture. It also withdrew from paying new staff the ‘real’ Living Wage, despite making an earlier public commitment to do so.
Watt has also come under fire for his views on workplace culture. Earlier this year, he claimed the UK was “one of the world’s least work-oriented countries” and criticised a focus on work-life balance.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Employee relations opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more Employee Relations jobs
