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According to the owner, the decision was driven by sluggish progress in downtown development and escalating expenses. Despite a nine-month effort to find a suitable successor, “the right buyer never came,” he revealed.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Intuition Ale Works, a staple in Downtown Jacksonville for nearly ten years, is set to close its doors for good.
Founder Ben Davis shared on social media that the popular craft brewery will cease operations on April 24, 2026.
The brewery’s journey began modestly, long before its establishment on East Bay Street in 2016.
“It’s hard to believe fifteen years have passed,” Davis reflected. “It seems just like yesterday we were moving tanks into the old King Street Brewery, enrolling Mug Club members, and dreaming of canning our beer one day.”
Back in April, Davis made known his intentions to sell the business. On Wednesday, he disclosed that after an extensive nine-month search, a suitable buyer did not emerge.
He points to rising costs and the business’s location as contributing factors in the decision.
“The craft beer industry has changed dramatically since COVID. Costs are higher, margins are thinner, and competition is relentless. For small, independent breweries, the room for error is smaller than it has ever been.”
Davis said that when deciding to operate in Downtown Jacksonville, he was banking on its long-term potential. While the Northbank has been the subject of multiple development plans in recent years, including the new Rise Doro luxury apartments, marina and Four Seasons Hotel, many of those construction projects are still in progress.
“That ambition was rooted in the hope that transformative downtown development would follow. It never did. Renderings and potential do not pay the bills.”
The final day will feature one last Bier Hall show with Yonder Mountain String Band, Davis said. The taproom, kitchen and Bier Hall will remain fully open and operational until then, and all scheduled private events will move forward as planned.
