Chicago's Metropolitan Brewing To Stop Operations In December

CHICAGO — One of Chicago’s oldest craft breweries will close last month after not being able to resolve a dispute with its landlord over past rent and other bills associated with running the business, the family announced on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Brewing, which opened in 2008, will close for good on Dec. 17 and will not attempt to resume its business at another location, Doug and Tracy Hurst announced in a lengthy social media post.

“The last 15 years are a treasure trove of memories,” the family wrote. “We worked hard. We worked as a team. We looked out for each other as we navigated through some pretty scary (expletive). We are grateful for every soul that passed through our doors, both on Ravenswood and on Rockwell. And we are deeply sorry that we couldn’t see our way through this current situation. But now, it’s time to turn toward new adventures.”

Metropolitan, which focuses on German-style beers, has been a favorite of Chicago-area beer lovers since it opened. Its current taproom, situated along the Chicago River, has become a popular destination for patrons and local residents thanks to its spacious taproom and outdoor deck which offers river views and a comfortable social setting.

The brewery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, citing low sales and a years-long dispute with its landlord. The Chicago Tribune reported that Metropolitan’s owners owe more than $1 million in rental fees for brewing equipment to a company in North Carolina and another $386,000 to the Small Business Administration for a loan obtained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tribune also reported that the brewery owed its landlord, Rockwell Properties, more than $1 million in back rent and fees tied to the brewery’s lease. The paper said that the owners of the brewery stopped paying rent in 2019, maintaining that they had overpaid for rent by $130,000 since 2016.

The brewery attempted to create a financial plan to reorganize its business but the proposal was rejected by the landlord, the Tribune reported.

In the social media post, Metropolitan’s owners said that the taproom would be open every day except for Thanksgiving through Dec. 17. The family wrote that many people have already reached out to help the family but said that the best way patrons could be of assistance is to visit the taproom, drink some beer and then take more home.

“We truly love and will miss you,” the family wrote in the social media post. “Thank you for being the best fans we could ever hope for.”

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