CLEVELAND — Just this week, three Northeast Ohio breweries have announced closures: Working Class Brewing (Cleveland), The Rabbit Hole (Akron), Magic City Brewing (Akron).
RELATED: More Ohio breweries have closed than opened in 2025 so far
As of November 2025, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association told me roughly 30 breweries had closed or were planning to close.
"It’s not like the entire industry is falling off a cliff," Ohio Craft Brewers Association Deputy Director Justin Hemminger previously said.
Working Class Brewing posted to its social media on Sunday, saying, "After 8.5 years in business, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors. Economic factors, shifts in market trends, as well as personal reasons have led us to the decision."
The business also said its taproom revenue has decreased by 25% since Covid-19.
Additionally, Working Class Brewery said taproom revenue has decreased by another 18% over the past year.
Posted on Tuesday, The Rabbit Hole said it would be permanently closing, effective immediately. No reason was publicly provided.
As for Magic City Brewing Company, it posted, "All good things must come to an end."
Magic City will continue pouring through Valentine's Day.
The trend of closures now begs the question: How are Cleveland breweries looking overall?
I reached out to Destination Cleveland, a nonprofit aimed at marketing The Land to residents and tourists, for comment.
Destination Cleveland offers as a brewery passport that allows users to try up to 42 different breweries at 47 locations across Cleveland, according to Destination Cleveland's website.
It’s never easy to see hospitality businesses close, but we understand that business owners must make tough decisions.
Despite the recent closures, Cleveland’s craft brewery scene remains strong and popular with both locals and visitors. Destination Cleveland is proud to continue supporting and promoting it. The Cleveland Brewery passport demonstrates this popularity, with more than 4,200 active participants last year and 386 users completing the passport — double the number of finishers from the year prior.
However, the concern is still there for local businesses that thrive off breweries, like Cleveland City Brew Tours.
"We don't interact with every brewery in Cleveland or in Northeast Ohio, but the only concerning part is I just hope it's not a trend," Cleveland City Brew Tours Owner, Billy Fronimo.
He does not have a lot of concern, though, as he believes the market overall looks decent.
City Brew Tours was founded in 2008, but didn't open a Cleveland location until 2018.
Fronimo said his business cycles through about half a dozen breweries, only stopping at three per tour.
Each tour is roughly three hours. Transportation is provided, free samples are handed out, and Fronimo said it's a very interactive, hands-on experience.
"They take you in the back room. They show you how the beer is brewed from start to finish. They show you all the equipment. They show you the whole process and you get to drink beer as you're listening," he said.
Tours are public, private, or corporate.
Fronimo said it's a thriving business, especially during the warmer months.
He is sad to hear it's not like that for others, though.
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"You have to keep in mind that when you start a brewery, the upfront costs are astronomical. You're talking a couple $100,000, maybe more with some of the bigger ones. You have that on top of all your normal beer, restaurant, bar costs of starting a new business, so you add those costs on top. You have to bring in a lot of business to cover that overhead cost," Fronimo said. "I think the industry is going to right size itself eventually and there's going to be a certain amount of breweries that are going to be able to survive in the market and I think it'll straighten itself out."
He told me it hurts to see others give up a business because he understands the amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into it.
"It's hard. Being a small business owner, I know the struggles. You have to constantly be marketing and getting your name out there, and you can't survive a bad year or a bad couple of years, so it's tough, and I feel bad because it's a lot of work," Fronimo said. "When you see small businesses close down, it kind of hurts a little bit. You hope that they found something else or maybe they're gonna find another market."
I reached out to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association for an update on brewery closures across the state. Once I hear back, I'll Follow Through.
