USA, MI: Creston Brewery closes in Grand Rapids

The Creston Brewery, a staple in the Grand Rapids Creston neighborhood, has closed.

The Saugatuck Brewing Company, which bought the brewery at 1504 Plainfield Ave. near Quimby Street in 2021, announced it had closed on March 3. The company’s taproom in Kalamazoo is also closing, it said, while its Douglas taproom is set to remain open.

It cited a “challenging time for the craft beer industry” for the closure of the brewery that first opened in 2016.

“We’ve always believed in brewing great beer, and in today’s evolving industry, we’re making the difficult choice to shift our focus toward growing our presence through distribution,” John Miller, CEO of Saugatuck Brewing Company, said in a Monday release. “This decision was not made lightly, as our Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo taprooms have been an integral part of our story.”

He added that the Saugatuck Brewing Company is “incredibly grateful to have been a part of both of these communities.”

“The memories made, the friendships formed, and the unwavering support from our patrons have been invaluable,” he said.

Miller, who was named the new CEO of the Saugatuck Brewing Company in 2023, also said that he’s grateful for the two taprooms’ employees.

Creston Brewery had been forced to close in 2020 due to the pandemic. Saugatuck Brewing Company announced it had bought the Creston neighborhood staple in the spring of 2021 — shortly after it opened the Kalamazoo taproom — and reopened it that fall.