Lagunitas informed employees Thursday morning that they plan on closing its brewery and taproom.
The brewery, located in the 2600 block of West 17th Street in North Lawndale, opened up in the summer of 2014. The company plans to move all brewing operations to their headquarters in Petaluma, California.
An employee said management found out about the move Wednesday with the rest of the employees finding out in an early morning meeting Thursday.
A press release sent out in the afternoon says the changes will impact 86 employees.
The release says some employees will “retain remote roles” or relocate to California — but “a small number of employees will remain working in the warehouse.”
The closure will occur on Aug. 1st.
Lagunitas said Chicago remains a priority market for the company.