The sudden end of Anheuser-Busch’s Fairfield brewery is reshaping both the city’s economy and the futures of hundreds of workers who long saw the plant as a stable cornerstone of their lives. A state WARN notice delivered on December 12 set a firm shutdown date of February 22, giving 238 employees just over two months to decide whether to relocate to other facilities across the country or accept severance in a region with high living costs and limited comparable jobs. The closure brings to a close nearly 50 years of large-scale beer production in Fairfield and marks the departure of the last major brewing operation in the Bay Area.
A 49-Year Fixture in Fairfield
The Fairfield brewery began operating in 1976, attracted by access to clean water near Lake Berryessa and convenient shipping routes along Interstate 80. Over the decades, it evolved into more than an industrial site, becoming a familiar landmark and a source of civic pride. Drivers on I-80 could see the bright red Budweiser sign, and residents came to expect annual traditions such as rooftop holiday decorations and visits from the Clydesdale horses during local celebrations.
For nearly five decades, the operation functioned as a manufacturing anchor for Fairfield, supporting middle-income jobs and helping define the city’s identity. Its closure severs a long-standing connection between the global brewing giant and a community that integrated the brand into local culture and daily life.
Investment, Then Closure
The decision to shut the plant comes just 17 months after Anheuser-Busch announced a $7 million upgrade to the Fairfield facility in July 2024, part of a broader $2 billion, five-year modernization program across more than 100 U.S. sites. The work in Fairfield included roofing repairs, equipment improvements, new lighting, and structural reinforcements aimed at extending the brewery’s life for decades.
At the time, CEO Brendan Whitworth said the upgrades would help “ensure our Northern California facility continues to brew great-tasting, high-quality products for generations.” Less than two years later, the company is closing the plant and shifting production to other U.S. breweries. Anheuser-Busch has framed the move, along with simultaneous closures in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and Newark, New Jersey, as part of a consolidation strategy intended to strengthen remaining operations. In total, the three shutdowns affect 475 workers.
Local leaders and residents are left to reconcile the recent investments, the long operating history, and the abrupt reversal in corporate plans. The sequence underscores how rapidly global companies can revise their U.S. manufacturing footprint, even at sites that appeared secure.
Economic Shock for Fairfield and the Region
The closure will devastate Fairfield’s finances. According to the city’s workforce development board, the plant’s shutdown will result in the loss of $10.7 million per year in municipal tax revenue—a significant blow for a city already managing tight finances. The state stands to lose approximately $8.9 million annually in tax collections, and the federal government about $3.3 million. The brewery is also Fairfield’s largest single water customer, and the loss of that revenue will compound the city’s fiscal challenges. Without that anchor, water rates could increase or city services could be curtailed to fill the gap.
For the 238 workers losing their jobs, many in their 40s and 50s, the timing is especially difficult, arriving near peak earning years and close to retirement planning milestones. Local officials estimate the total economic impact reaches well beyond direct employment losses once suppliers, transporters, contractors, and service businesses are counted, creating a ripple effect through the regional economy.
City Leadership, Business Climate, and a Difficult Future for the Site
Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy has described the impact of the impending closure as “staggering” and “devastating,” emphasizing concern for workers facing job loss or forced relocation. “We are most concerned about the folks who are losing their jobs or having to relocate. My heart aches for them,” she said in a public statement. City Manager David Gassaway sought relief or flexibility from Anheuser-Busch as the city grappled with the fiscal fallout, but he said the company responded that the decision was final.
Moy has linked the departure to what she characterizes as a broader trend of manufacturers leaving California. She points to the shutdown of the Benicia refinery as an example of major employers withdrawing from the state, citing regulatory costs and what she describes as an inhospitable business climate. In that context, even a long-established, widely recognized brand such as Budweiser is unable or unwilling to maintain production in Northern California.
Repurposing the Fairfield brewery site poses another challenge. The nearly 50-year-old facility was built specifically for large-scale beer production, with specialized infrastructure that does not easily accommodate other types of manufacturing or commercial use. Gassaway has cautioned that finding a suitable buyer or tenant may be difficult and could take years, potentially prolonging the loss of property tax revenue and leaving a large industrial property underused.
Industry Pressures and a Turning Point
The Fairfield decision is occurring amid broader shifts in the beer market. Survey data show that alcohol consumption in the United States, particularly among younger adults, has been trending downward. In 2024, U.S. beer production declined by about 1%, and craft beer sales fell 4%. Anheuser-Busch also reported that its third-quarter 2025 profit dropped to $1.05 billion from $2.07 billion the year before. The company has previously attributed a $1.4 billion sales impact in 2024 to a high-profile marketing controversy involving Bud Light.
The Bay Area has already seen a series of pullbacks in large-scale brewing and distribution. Anheuser-Busch closed its Oakland distribution center in 2022, eliminating 142 jobs. With the Fairfield shutdown, the company will have cut 380 positions in the region since 2022. Around the same period, 21st Amendment Brewery ended production in San Leandro, costing 76 jobs, and Oakland’s Rose’s brewery also shut down. Together, those steps have effectively erased the region’s major industrial beer operations.
Anheuser-Busch says it has offered every Fairfield employee a position at another U.S. facility, along with relocation support and severance for those who do not move. For many, that means weighing out-of-state transfers against family ties, children’s schooling, housing costs in new locations, and potential effects on pensions or retirement timelines.
By February 22, the Fairfield brewery will go quiet, ending almost 50 years of production and closing a chapter in the city’s industrial history. The shutdown reflects a convergence of corporate consolidation, shifting consumer habits, and state-level economic pressures. What comes next—for the workers, the city’s finances, and the sprawling brewery complex itself—will help determine whether Fairfield can replace such a long-standing employer or absorb its loss as part of a broader realignment in American manufacturing.
Sources
SFGATE – “World’s largest brewing company to shut down Bay Area plant after 50 years” (December 12, 2025)
ABC10 News Report (December 13, 2025)
San Francisco Chronicle – “The world’s largest beer company is shuttering its last Bay Area facility” (December 11, 2025)
PR Newswire / Anheuser-Busch Official – “Anheuser-Busch To Invest $7M In Facility Upgrades to Fairfield, California Brewery” (July 15, 2024)