According to a recent study by the NPD Group, a research firm, 5,204 restaurants have closed since the Spring of 2009, representing a 1% drop in the total number. As reported in the Nations Restaurant News, “[i]ndependent restaurants took the hardest hits, while chains kept their unit counts relatively stable.” As the Brewers Association revealed last week, brewpub openings increased slightly, reversing a trend where they’d been losing ground to the recession. Perhaps that’s tied to craft beer’s continuing increases, perhaps not. In any event, less restaurant visits means less opportunities to purchase beer, so that’s bad news for the production breweries who sell packaged and draft beer to restaurants.
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Jay, one trend I have noticed in the Bay Area is that whenever a new restaurant does open, they pay attention to stocking good craft and imported beer more than restaurants did in the past. I think that especially during an economic downturn that beer in many cases becomes a more affordable dining option than wine.
Restaurants are down, yet On Premise sales of craft beer is UP. How can that happen? Restaurants and pubs with quality craft beer selections are, on average, doing better business!
I have noticed a couple new brewpubs pop up in my general area over the course of the last year (or two), where before there were none. I can’t necessarily say that any one of them has produced any terrific brews (as of yet), however.