Longtime staple of N.L. craft brewing industry closes taproom for a month, as another tries different ways to draw people in
Posted on: Feb 10, 2026 21:06 IST | Posted by: Cbc
With the be of living rising and the temperatures plummeting, Quidi Vidi Brewery has been having a firmly clip fill its taproom with paying customers.
And so the longtime staple fibre of Newfoundland and Labrador's craft brewing industry has made the difficult decision to close its doors for the month of February, so it can enter the spring on a more solid financial footing.
Owner Justin Fong said it wasn't an easy decision to make.
Quidi Vidi Brewery taproom closing for February as beer sales go flat
Fong said the production side of the business is still in full swing, and they're eager to welcome customers at the taproom again in March.
The problem is multi-faceted. Craft beer sales are down nationwide, and it's being felt in Newfoundland and Labrador as well. The cost of living is another major factor, Fong said, as people have less disposable income to shell out on alcohol.
The cost of supplies has also gone up — affecting everything from aluminum cans to hops and barley.
“Unfortunately it just doesn’t make sense for us to be open during the month of February," Fong said.
Quidi Vidi Brewery has been operating out of a former fish plant in Quidi Vidi Village since 1996. The company is the official beer sponsor for the Brier, being hosted in St. John's for the first time since 2017. Fong said they'll also get a major boost from St. Patrick's Day, which will help carry the business into the spring and summer months.
In nearby Mount Pearl, Christina Coady knows she has to focus on the positives to get through the cold winter months.
Coady, co-owner of Landwash Brewery, said the company hasn't had to consider closing its doors this winter, but they've had to get creative.
"January and February, they're always going to be tough times," she said. "You're always ready for it, but it always still hurts when it comes around."
Coady said they've focused on new programming, like speed dating, which has helped bring customers through the doors.
Landwash has also focused on adding non-alcoholic options to bolster its business. The company released a new non-alcoholic sour last week.
"These types of things have been helping, but we certainly are seeing less people coming through the doors and less sales with our restaurant and bar partners," she said. "But that's very common for this time of year."
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