justjoan wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

justjoan wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:We can all guess why they probably closed (most likely non or under performance) but it would be really nice if one of these supposed news outlets would even attempt to obtain and report the reason, rather than just regurgitate RB's social media posts. Not one report I've read cites the "why" behind this news.

=R=

this morning's block club (logan square, avondale, humboldt park edition) quotes josh deth, founder, as saying that sales at the brewpub plummeted during the pandemic and that over the years he realized 'the culinary portion of the his business model wasn't as profitable as the taproom and wholesale production facility in avondale."

Thanks, Joan. That's something that the other 3 reports I read neglected to include.

=R=

i'm a big fan of block club. there's a lot of overlap between the different neighborhood newsletters but it's $59/year well spent, IMO...

boudreaulicious wrote:

justjoan wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

justjoan wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:We can all guess why they probably closed (most likely non or under performance) but it would be really nice if one of these supposed news outlets would even attempt to obtain and report the reason, rather than just regurgitate RB's social media posts. Not one report I've read cites the "why" behind this news.

=R=

this morning's block club (logan square, avondale, humboldt park edition) quotes josh deth, founder, as saying that sales at the brewpub plummeted during the pandemic and that over the years he realized 'the culinary portion of the his business model wasn't as profitable as the taproom and wholesale production facility in avondale."

Thanks, Joan. That's something that the other 3 reports I read neglected to include.

=R=

i'm a big fan of block club. there's a lot of overlap between the different neighborhood newsletters but it's $59/year well spent, IMO...

Agree—and I don’t even live in Chi anymore —excellent and thorough reporting. And a good way to stay connected to the city.

Revolution Brewing's decision to close its Milwaukee Avenue brewpub stems not from some sudden shock to its business operations. "Sometimes when you hear about a restaurant closing, it's because the lease was up, or they're raising the rent, or the bank is foreclosing on them," said Revolution founder and CEO Josh Deth. "It's none of that with this."

Rather, the 15-year-old institution is closing up shop simply because the brewpub is bleeding money. Sales have been declining for years, and Deth cannot justify staying open. "It's like throwing in the towel in the later rounds to avoid injury (to the rest of the business)," he said. "We ran out of options."

Revolution operates a taproom and massive beer distribution business, both of which are doing well, Deth said. The brewpub became a unique pain point for the Chicago-based company.
...
Deth said sales at the brewpub "have just been a shadow of what they once were, a fraction." He did not specify how deep in the red the pub was, just that "we're losing a lot of money there."

ekreider wrote:Crain's Chicago Business has a story by Jack Grieve with more details on why Revolution is closing the brewpub.

Revolution Brewing's decision to close its Milwaukee Avenue brewpub stems not from some sudden shock to its business operations. "Sometimes when you hear about a restaurant closing, it's because the lease was up, or they're raising the rent, or the bank is foreclosing on them," said Revolution founder and CEO Josh Deth. "It's none of that with this."

Rather, the 15-year-old institution is closing up shop simply because the brewpub is bleeding money. Sales have been declining for years, and Deth cannot justify staying open. "It's like throwing in the towel in the later rounds to avoid injury (to the rest of the business)," he said. "We ran out of options."

Revolution operates a taproom and massive beer distribution business, both of which are doing well, Deth said. The brewpub became a unique pain point for the Chicago-based company.
...
Deth said sales at the brewpub "have just been a shadow of what they once were, a fraction." He did not specify how deep in the red the pub was, just that "we're losing a lot of money there."

There is a much more in the story behind a paywall. I think the fact that the brewpub is 40,000 square feet in a building they own and which they plan to sell says a lot.