The Heavy Table
“I fear that 2021 will be a year where the closing number matches the current market reality more closely, and we see closings rise sharply,” Brewers Association economist Bart Watson wrote in this piece. “We should not confuse the lack of business deaths with business health, and there are numerous signs, from brewery sales and revenue, to broader small business confidence surveys, that small business, particularly those in hospitality, are hurting. As market conditions return to normal, this may accelerate closings, both as breweries take stock of the hole COVID-19 has dug in their finances, and as other players, such as landlords, end extensions or forgiveness on rent.”