Craft Brewers Get Craftier About Location

Welsh: “When zoning codes began to embrace the concept of craft breweries, that finally opened the door for brewers that who were waiting in the wings with their investors and business plans ready.”

COLUMBIA, MD—Don’t be surprised if the next time you’re feeling a little thirsty you find your local craft brewery is shuttered. It’s a sobering reality that, while the niche still represents a popular and growing trend, there are forces at work that are redefining what a successful model looks like.

That’s what Marley Welsh, senior associate at the Chesapeake Region office of Lee & Associates, told us recently. But she makes it clear that changes in the model don’t mean demand is going flat.