Craft breweries, however, are still opening at a healthy clip.
Since the pandemic reached the Buckeye State, nine breweries have opened in central Ohio and five have closed. Statewide, 47 opened and 15 closed.
The trend doesn’t necessarily mean that small breweries are thriving — although few would argue the coronavirus robbed Ohio of its appetite for craft beer. Most openings were in the works prior to the pandemic, as a craft brewery typically takes months or years to go from the drawing board to the grand opening.
10 breweries opened in and around Franklin County amid COVID-19
An official tally from the Ohio Craft Brewers Association lists 10 openings in Franklin County and the surrounding counties during the pandemic, against six closures. However, the 1487 Brewery is on both lists because it closed its Alexandria taproom and moved to Plain City.