Local
Nashville’s 51 North Taproom to close Dec. 13 as costs outpace business
Owner Will Shuff says rising expenses and a lease ending this year have made the neighborhood taproom unsustainable. The closure follows the May shutdown of his 12 South Taproom, which operated for 20 years.
51 North Taproom in Nashville’s Nations neighborhood will close Dec. 13, owner Will Shuff says, after rising operating costs and the end of the business’s lease made it financially unsustainable.
Shuff opened the taproom in 2017, building on the neighborhood-focused food and beer business he had run at 12 South Taproom for two decades. That location closed in May. The shutdown of 51 North will end his two taproom operations.
Shuff said the business never fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, while expenses for food, repairs, labor and rent continued to rise. The lease at 51 North is due to end at the close of the year, he said.
Federal Paycheck Protection Program funding helped the business stay open during the pandemic and retain most of its employees, Shuff said, but it did not resolve the longer-term financial pressures. He also noted that customers are facing higher costs, making restaurant meals an expense some households may cut.
Shuff said he opened the taprooms out of a love of beer and cooking. He described independent businesses as part of what gives a community its character and said he is focusing on customers and employees during the taproom’s final weeks.
The business is encouraging customers to visit before closing and to consider gift cards and merchandise as holiday gifts. The final day of service is scheduled for Dec. 13.