Dead Man Walking: Platform Beer Ceases Operations In Cleveland

Founded in Cleveland by Paul Benner and Justin Carson in 2014, Platform Beer Co. once was at the cutting-edge of the craft beer movement…but no longer.

At its height Platform ran three facilities in Cleveland: their flagship tasting room, a 60 barrel production brewhouse and a sour beer operation called “Phunkenship.”

They also opened a tasting room in Columbus which doubled as a distribution center and warehouse, a Cincinnati tasting Room and coffee shop combo, as well as a 10 barrel brewery and taproom in Pittsburgh.

When Anheuser-Busch purchased Platform Beer Co in 2019 its possibilities seemed unlimited. It was one of the fastest-growing regional craft brewing operations in the country…and now all those facilities are closed.

So what happened?

Well the pandemic hasn’t been kind to anyone and many breweries are still reeling from its economic impact.

On February 27, 2021, the staff at Platform’s Columbus taproom staged a walkout accusing the company of: “ paying low wages while increasing hours and responsibilities; limited notifications of positive COVID-19 cases among employees; no taproom closure time to sanitize; mold issues in a freezer area that also is used to store food; and failing to fill the vacant general manager position.”

Platform Beer’s Columbus taproom never regained its footing and its Cincinnati operation closed its doors soon after that.

Cleveland Scene who broke the news of Platform’s Cleveland demise received the following statement from a Platform spokesperson (read: someone representing Anheuser-Busch) regarding the brand’s future….

“As we navigate through the changing industry and operational challenges, it has become clear that Platform’s production and commercial efforts need to be focused on three beers: Haze Jude IPA, Odd Future Imperial IPA, and our new Canalway IPA. We are grateful to be part of the Ohio beer community and look forward to continuing to provide local beer drinkers with the IPAs they’ve come to love.”

But given that its entire Ohio operation is done and that all its employees have been let go, we have to wonder how much local love remains for the Platform Beer brand. And in spite of Anheuser-Busch’s pledge to continue brewing those three IPAs, we see their retention as a face-saving measure at best.

Once one of the most promising brewing companies in the Midwest (certainly in Ohio), Platform Brewing is now “Dead Man Walking.”

And those beers will be quietly disappeared by a brewing giant that either didn’t know how to make the Platform Beer acquisition work for them in the long run, or never understood what they were buying to begin with.

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(All image credits: Platform Beer Co.)