Workers on the famend San Francisco brewery, Anchor Brewing Co., have banded collectively to try to rescue the historic establishment often known as “America’s oldest craft brewery” — by buying and working it themselves.
Round 40 staff penned a letter on Wednesday to the present house owners, Sapporo, outlining their intentions, Vinepair reported. The employees’ proposal, which requires working the brewery as a employee co-op, goals to cease Anchor’s belongings from being bought off and maintain the establishment alive.
Sapporo, which had acquired Anchor Brewing Co. in 2017 for a reported sum of $85 million, not too long ago introduced its intention to shut the brewery and dump its belongings.
The workers, represented by Pedro de Sá, a spokesperson for the Anchor union, emphasised that they don’t seem to be looking for “handouts or charity.”
“All we wish is a good shot at with the ability to proceed to do our jobs, make the beer we love, and maintain this historic establishment open, de Sá wrote within the letter. “We are not looking for the brewery and model we like to be bought off earlier than we even had an opportunity.”
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The employees’ letter requests Sapporo president Mike Minami to reply and have interaction in negotiations with the Anchor staff by the top of the day on Friday.
“We could not go down with out a way of preventing for ourselves and the neighborhood we love,” Patrick Machel, a employee at Anchor instructed Vinepair.
An indication is displayed on the entrance door of the Anchor Brewing Co. in 2017. Justin Sullivan | Getty Photos
Based in 1896, Anchor has confronted vital adjustments upon Sapporo’s acquisition — together with a taproom, paid excursions, and stylish beer types — which have been met with unfavorable suggestions from staff and placing the brewery’s “craft” standing in jeopardy.
The Anchor staff are usually not the one ones desirous to protect the model’s legacy. Final week, Rhode Island-based brewery, Narragansett Beer, circulated a petition to avoid wasting Anchor, garnering curiosity from a number of non-public fairness traders, Vinepair reported.
A number of Bay Space entrepreneurs have additionally expressed curiosity in buying the model, together with “serial investor” Mike Walsh, who has arrange a web site to hunt potential traders, per The San Francisco Chronicle.
“I undoubtedly have sufficient curiosity and entry to capital to place a aggressive provide in so we might purchase it,” he instructed the outlet.
Within the Anchor union’s letter, the workers request that Minami responds by the top of the day on Friday concerning the subsequent steps, notably in “creat[ing] the framework and rais[ing] the funds crucial for this buy.”