Black Star Co-Op Brewpub Announces It Will Close

Black Star Co-Op Pub & Brewery, the world’s first member-owned-and-managed brewpub, announced that it will close on Sunday, January 12. In a post on its website, the brewery did not expand on the reasons for the closure, but wrote, “It comes after careful consideration of the many challenges we’ve faced in navigating the world’s first community-owned, democratically-managed brewpub.” Eater Austin has reached out for comment.

Black Star opened in 2010 and began tapping kegs of its own beers in the following months. The cooperative brewpub has long been self-sustained, with member-owners working shifts and helping to run the place as well as patronizing the business. On its opening, the Austin American-Statesman gave it a rave, saying, “The food has no reason to be this good. The staff has no reason to be this relaxed. The pub has no reason to feel this public. Except that it is, they are and it most certainly does.”

The brewery hit a rough patch in 2017, due to low sales early in the year, and reached out to its member-owners to rally. That call managed to save it back then, sending sales skyrocketing.

“We understand this news will be disappointing, and we share in that disappointment,” the closing statement says. “We will be holding our Members’ Assembly Meeting on January 11th at 9am, at the brewpub as scheduled, to discuss the closure in more detail, answer any questions you may have, and share information as to what may come next for Black Star Co-op as an entity.”

Until then, it is open to those who’d like to grab a beer and something to eat.