Stone Brewing to close Escondido facilities and lay off 220 workers

Stone Brewing, a subsidiary of Sapporo USA, is winding down its operations in Escondido, California, and moving production to Paso Robles, California, and Kansas City, Missouri. The company plans to eventually lay off a total of 220 employees, with an initial group of 58 workers scheduled for layoff on October 19.

Sapporo USA CEO Zach Keeling stated that the brewery is being phased out because the company has “not yet found a viable long-term solution” for the Escondido site. The move involves closing three locations in the city that once served as a major hub for the brand.

Stone Brewing, founded in 1996, was a prominent figure in the West Coast craft brewing movement. Following its 2022 acquisition by Sapporo, the Escondido facilities were used to fine-tune the large-scale manufacture of Sapporo beers in the United States.