It’s been a rough couple of years for Jacksonville’s craft brewers.
From recent start-ups to longtime favorites like A1A Ale Works and Ragtime Tavern, several craft breweries across Northeast Florida have closed their doors.
The latest is relative newcomer Barley & Pie Brewing Company.
Just nine months after opening on Fleming Island, the restaurant known for its craft beers, including its signature American lager Clay Lite, and handcrafted sourdough neo-Neapolitan pizzas, announced Monday it would close after service on Saturday, April 5.
“It is with great disappointment that we announce the closure of Barley and Pie,” owners Philip and Kara Maple wrote in a social media post.
“Despite pouring our hearts into this business and creating a space for the community, we simply couldn’t compete with the ever-growing number of chain restaurants moving in around us. While they filled up, we struggled to get the support we needed to stay afloat. Pair that with rising costs, aggressive pricing from larger competitors, and a difficult landlord, we found ourselves facing an uphill battle we could no longer fight.”
Philip Maple previously co-founded and served as president and brewmaster of Wicked Barley in Jacksonville.
Barley & Pie allowed Maple to pursue his passions for craft beer and handcrafted pizzas.
And he hoped Fleming Island would be the place to do that.
"It was an ‘ah-ha moment’ of ‘there's no brewery out here,’” he told the Times-Union when the restaurant opened in June 2024. “I know that people will support it.”
But that’s not what happened.
“This is not how we wanted our story to end,” he wrote in the social media post. “But we will always be grateful for the moments, the memories, and the community that gathered around our offerings.
“To those of you who supported us — who chose local over corporate, who believed in craft over convenience — thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The couple encouraged their customers and others to support locally owned restaurants and other businesses.
“Please, continue to support small businesses, because without that support, more of us will disappear,” they wrote in their post.
Ragtime, A1A Ale Works and others: More recent Jacksonville-area craft brewery closings
The announcement follows the closings of other notable craft brewers since 2023.
In late January, Atlantic Beach dining landmark Ragtime Tavern closed after more than 40 years.
The restaurant, at 207 Atlantic Blvd., had served craft beer, seafood, steaks and more at the high-profile corner of First Street and Atlantic Boulevard since 1983.
Eight months earlier, storied A1A Ale Works closed at 1 King St. in St. Augustine after 29 years.
Other closures include: