Former Stone Brewing employees in Escondido laid off as new owner moves production

Key Points:

• Stone Brewing, a California craft beer pioneer, is closing its three Escondido locations and laying off 220 employees as new owners Firestone Walker Brewing Co. and Duvel Moortgat USA shift production to Paso Robles, CA, and Kansas City, MO.
• Sapporo USA, which sold Stone Brewing in May 2024, is winding down the Escondido brewery in phases, starting layoffs with 58 workers on October 19, citing no viable long-term solution for the site.
• Firestone Walker and Duvel USA plan to retain a significant number of Stone Brewing employees in hospitality, sales, and marketing, and will split distribution responsibilities regionally across the U.S.
• Stone Brewing beer production will continue under the new ownership, with a gradual transition to Firestone Walker’s and Duvel USA’s breweries, while some Stone hospitality locations remain operational.
• Separately, Bumble Bee Foods announced plans to close a Santa Fe Springs production facility by March 2027, resulting in layoffs of nearly 233 workers as part of a strategy to streamline its supply chain.