What Does Anchor Brewing’s Closing Debacle Say About Us?
Your writer holding his spoils from (possibly) one of Anchor Brewing’s last days. (Andy Samwick)
PHOTOS AND WORDS BY ANDY SAMWICK
San Francisco does have the capability to embrace its history. Case in point, locals are up in arms over Anchor Brewing’s closing announcement on July 10th. They came out and lined up when they heard the brewery was liquidating. Anchor had made a decision to shutter after brewing an American staple for over 125 years. According to workers who spoke to the Chronicle, Sapporo USA, the conglomerate that bought the brewery in 2017, is to blame for lots of mismanagement. And although the iconic logo was changed years ago, it feels like we are losing yet another piece of what makes our city standout.
Crowds gathered for Anchor’s farewell. (Andy Samwick)
As crowds inside Oracle Park and the surrounding neighbors were preparing to say farewell again to The Dead, this time with Dead & Co. The pre game party started when Anchor Brewing opened its doors on July 11th, the day after their announcement, and the mob began to line up for the last of their infamous Christmas Ales and all sorts of memorabilia inside with the brewery’s namesake. I even contemplated an extra large navy sweatshirt, which I ultimately passed on. (Now, I am regretting it a little…) Just a week later Anchor Brewing is in the news again with possible buyers and offers, and an outstanding week of sales for the brand setting record-high sales.
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What does this say about us? For one thing, when we rally with enough spirit or “hops” in this case (haha) we can make things happen! Another thing this shows us is that we can come together and come out to support our city. We’re long overdue to return to some of the great amenities San Francisco has to offer. When Westfield recently announced its exit amongst most major retail in the city, we exposed another crack in our city’s architecture. I fear a domino effect may happen with other vertical businesses like hospitality and entertainment. There is strength in numbers. Now, it’s just about showing up, not to say goodbye, but instead, to say welcome back!
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