Brewery Faisan plans to close later this year after seven years in business, with ownership citing the brewery’s limited scale, debt load and available resources as the primary factors behind the decision.
In a social media announcement on August 4, owner Rachel Szlaga said the brewery hopes to remain open through its seventh anniversary in late October before winding down operations.
“Our hope is to continue pouring beers through our seventh anniversary sometime in late October to afford folks in our flock an opportunity to visit before we are Faisan Finité,” the statement reads. “The tanks are full of fresh beer and we will be canning and kegging a few limited runs as we wind down operations.”
The Detroit-area brewery, which opened in late 2019 after years of planning and construction, said it overcame significant early challenges, including launching just months before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was late fall 2019 when we finally opened our doors. Little did we know, the pandemic was lurking right around the corner,” Szlaga wrote. “Four months young, we hunkered down to weather the storm, doing our best to navigate the unprecedented.”
Despite surviving the pandemic and expanding its retail presence the brewery said it looked to build a community-focused taproom, ownership said the business ultimately reached a point where continuing operations was no longer sustainable.
“When a dream is on the line, decisions like these are never easy,” Szlaga wrote. “In the end, we made the one that is right for us by accepting the limitations of our current scale, debt, and the resources available to us.”
The brewery did not indicate that declining sales or other specific market conditions were the primary reason for closing, instead framing the decision around the financial realities of operating a small independent brewery. Throughout the announcement, Szlaga reflected on the brewery’s growth from an idea into a neighborhood gathering place, thanking employees, mug club members, retail partners, vendors and customers for supporting the business over the past seven years.
“We are proud of what we built in Islandview, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you,” she wrote.
Brewery Faisan said it plans to continue hosting regular events while it remains open, with farewell celebrations expected to be announced in the coming months. They also confirmed the brewery is being offered for sale, expressing hope that a new owner could continue operating the space.
“Brewery Faisan is officially for sale and there is nothing in this world that would make Paul and I happier than to see someone (or someones) with the resources and gumption step up to propel this wonderful space into its next iteration,” Szlaga wrote.
Until closing, the brewery said it intends to continue serving beer, releasing limited packaged offerings and welcoming customers through its final weeks of operation.
