Beloved North Austin Brewpub Black Star Co-op to Close After 14 Years of Operation

On Sunday, January 12, Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery, which has been serving North Austin for more than 14 years, announced that it will close forever. "Careful considerations of the many challenges we've faced" in the changing craft beer business were mentioned by the cooperative in a statement. 

Since its opening in 2010, the member-owned and democratically run brewpub has been a mainstay of the community. Still, in recent years, particularly following the 2015 craft beer boom and the COVID-19 pandemic, its sales have been dropping.

Black Star's early success, with lines out throughout the first four years of existence, is recalled by co-founder Johnny Livesay. However, revenues declined, and the company was under severe financial difficulty as the sector became increasingly competitive. Funds for pandemic relief were received, but sales volume never increased again.

Livesay acknowledges the tremendous community support throughout the years and muses on the difficult decision to close. "It’s been a good experiment," he stated, "and it proved that with the right conditions, it can thrive." 

Even though the pub is shutting down, Austin's thriving craft beer culture continues to uphold the company's reputation as a community-focused enterprise.

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