BUFFALO, NY — A popular spot on Elmwood Avenue, Thin Man Brewery has been keeping the neighborhood alive for years. But now it’s been rekeyed after the owner announced that the place would be closed permanently.
“My husband and I always go there when it’s closed,” says one patron.
A social media post about the closure caught the attention of many. Yvon Paul Pasqualello, his director of sales and marketing for Thin Man, said it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After COVID-19, the market changed dramatically, mainly in restaurants and bars. We never went back to pre-pandemic numbers,” said Pasqualello.
The federal government gave Thinman Brewery an $87,000 PPP loan in 2020.
However, Thinman said in a statement that increased demand for its distribution hubs means it needs to reset its financial obligations. The announcement came as a shock to many customers and employees. One employee told me he learned about it in a group message hours before it was posted on social media. Currently, the Thinman’s Chandler store remains open, as does the 15-barrel system on Elmwood Avenue.
“We rebuilt over the winter. We’ve done a lot of events here and it didn’t work out. Unfortunately we’re still doing well. Our whole business is still going strong,” says Pascarello.
