Blab Business
Zipline Brewing Company Closes Taproom and Lounge, Leaves 20 Employees Unemployed
A sudden halt to the clink of pint glasses in Lincoln’s Zipline Brewing Company sent shockwaves through a community that had raised a glass to its craft for a decade. On Thursday, the brewery announced it would shut its taproom and beer lounge, stop brewing altogether, and leave about 20 workers without jobs. The company said its restaurant, Zipline Tap & Grill, would remain open.
The decision came abruptly. On Thursday, the workday began as usual and a batch of beer was in the brewing process. At noon, employees were told they were being let go and had to stop brewing mid‑batch. Several staff members, including former manager Meghan Munyon, had worked at the brewery for more than a decade and were stunned by the news.
The shutdown followed a chain of events that began Wednesday evening, when staff learned the beer lounge would host Senators Pete Ricketts and Ted Cruz. The announcement upset some employees and raised questions about how the venue could accommodate the event safely. Despite the frustration, many returned to work on Thursday, some with vague thoughts of quitting or protesting.
A sign posted outside the taproom cited rising costs as the reason for the closure. It read: “The brewing industry has faced tremendous headwinds since the pandemic, and those obstacles have only gotten harder as inflation and other rising expenses have squeezed our ability to produce world‑class beers, at reasonable prices and still keep our lights on.” Munyon said that leadership had discussed selling the business, but many employees felt blindsided by the final decision. “We were locked out of our business accounts around noon,” she said. “The leadership arrived at the taproom at 2 p.m. to let us know we were being let go.”
A representative for AKRS Equipment, which sits across the street from the brewery, said the business does not own stock in Zipline, but a few top managers at AKRS had common ownership of the brewery.
The company’s Facebook post clarified that the closure was not related to the senators’ event. “We also want to clarify that this decision was made some time ago as part of a business transition and is not related to any past or future events at Zipline,” the post read.
The Ricketts campaign responded to the closure by saying the event had been moved to a larger venue after RSVPs exceeded the original location’s capacity. “Zipline Brewing’s restructuring was unrelated to that decision and came as a surprise to us,” a campaign representative said.
Zipline’s transition to a restaurant‑focused organization was highlighted in the Facebook post. “What began as a vision to create exceptional craft beer grew into something far greater than we could have imagined,” the company wrote.
Zipline Brewing has been producing craft beer in Lincoln since 2012. The closure follows the shutdowns of two other Nebraska breweries in the past two years: Cosmic Eye Brewing and Nebraska Brewing Company.
The Nebraska craft‑beer scene has faced challenges since the pandemic. According to the Brewers Association, Nebraska ranked 16th in the number of craft breweries per capita in 2012. The state’s breweries and related industries generated more than $132 million in business and personal tax revenue that year.
The abrupt shutdown has left many local employees without a place to work. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment from 10/11 News.
The closure raises questions about the future of small breweries in Nebraska and the broader impact of rising costs on the craft‑beer industry. The situation remains unresolved as the company’s leadership has not issued a statement and employees await further information about severance, benefits, and potential job placement assistance.
The decision came abruptly. On Thursday, the workday began as usual and a batch of beer was in the brewing process. At noon, employees were told they were being let go and had to stop brewing mid‑batch. Several staff members, including former manager Meghan Munyon, had worked at the brewery for more than a decade and were stunned by the news.
The shutdown followed a chain of events that began Wednesday evening, when staff learned the beer lounge would host Senators Pete Ricketts and Ted Cruz. The announcement upset some employees and raised questions about how the venue could accommodate the event safely. Despite the frustration, many returned to work on Thursday, some with vague thoughts of quitting or protesting.
A sign posted outside the taproom cited rising costs as the reason for the closure. It read: “The brewing industry has faced tremendous headwinds since the pandemic, and those obstacles have only gotten harder as inflation and other rising expenses have squeezed our ability to produce world‑class beers, at reasonable prices and still keep our lights on.” Munyon said that leadership had discussed selling the business, but many employees felt blindsided by the final decision. “We were locked out of our business accounts around noon,” she said. “The leadership arrived at the taproom at 2 p.m. to let us know we were being let go.”
A representative for AKRS Equipment, which sits across the street from the brewery, said the business does not own stock in Zipline, but a few top managers at AKRS had common ownership of the brewery.
The company’s Facebook post clarified that the closure was not related to the senators’ event. “We also want to clarify that this decision was made some time ago as part of a business transition and is not related to any past or future events at Zipline,” the post read.
The Ricketts campaign responded to the closure by saying the event had been moved to a larger venue after RSVPs exceeded the original location’s capacity. “Zipline Brewing’s restructuring was unrelated to that decision and came as a surprise to us,” a campaign representative said.
Zipline’s transition to a restaurant‑focused organization was highlighted in the Facebook post. “What began as a vision to create exceptional craft beer grew into something far greater than we could have imagined,” the company wrote.
Zipline Brewing has been producing craft beer in Lincoln since 2012. The closure follows the shutdowns of two other Nebraska breweries in the past two years: Cosmic Eye Brewing and Nebraska Brewing Company.
The Nebraska craft‑beer scene has faced challenges since the pandemic. According to the Brewers Association, Nebraska ranked 16th in the number of craft breweries per capita in 2012. The state’s breweries and related industries generated more than $132 million in business and personal tax revenue that year.
The abrupt shutdown has left many local employees without a place to work. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment from 10/11 News.
The closure raises questions about the future of small breweries in Nebraska and the broader impact of rising costs on the craft‑beer industry. The situation remains unresolved as the company’s leadership has not issued a statement and employees await further information about severance, benefits, and potential job placement assistance.
