This weekend will be your last opportunity to grab some cold ones from Four Stacks Brewing Co.’s Riverview location. The brewery opened the location at 10656 New East Bay Rd. in Gibsonton last August and had a short run due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This closing announcement shortly follows a recent letter from the Florida Brewers Guild to Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that an internal poll found 100 of the over-300 breweries in the guild are likely to close if all current restrictions remain for the next two weeks.
The letter also asked to decrease restrictions on breweries, which are currently operating with to-go service only.
Four Stacks Brewing Company founder, Nathan Hangen, took to Facebook to announce the closing.
“Aside from a general lack of customer interest, our landlord has declined to assist us in our fight against the pandemic," the brewery wrote on Instagram. "In addition, our new neighbor, which is a restaurant, has threatened our food truck vendors so much so that they are unwilling to come back, and in the process damaged many of the relationships that we hold dear."
"In sum, we invested our lives, and life savings, into this location, but unfortunately, we have had to make a very difficult decision and permanently close Four Stacks Riverview so that we can focus on our remaining Apollo Beach location.”
Hangen also shared the possibility of opening again under a new name/concept in the future. Until then, the brewery is focusing on its Apollo Beach location—at 5469 N. U.S. Hwy 41—and will be closely monitoring the COVID-19 case development and its current restrictions.
For local brewery enthusiasts, this is a wake up call to be supporting local during DeSantis' COVID-19 cluster fuck. Slide by and pick up a four-pack, fill up a growler, or buy some merch to keep your favorite joints open. Breweries are getting crushed by regulations of not being able to host guests in taprooms. You’re already drinking because of social distancing and self-quarantining, now make it a local can you’re cracking.
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