SARASOTA, Fla. — There have been a lot of changes across many industries and for several businesses since the pandemic began.
One industry majorly affected is craft breweries.
There was a wave of breweries that opened and were viable due to a thriving market in the years before the pandemic. Many of those breweries had to shut down or struggled to stay afloat as the country reopened from the pandemic closures. Two years on, a change is coming to Sarasota to put craft beverages back in a familiar place.
Indiana-based Sun King Brewery has set up shop where another brewery once stood.
"We started selling beer in Florida four years ago and sales continued to grow and then 2020 happened," Clay Robinson, co-owner of Sun King Brewery, said.
Robinson is expanding his brewery to Sarasota and has taken over a building that once housed JDub's Brewing Company.
"It was already set up for the type of operation we do so we were able to purchase the assets and take over the lease," Robinson said.
Despite the supply chain crisis and staffing struggles, the craft beer industry continues to grow in the state of Florida with around 375 breweries generating more than $4 billion, according to the Brewers Association.
"It's traditionally been a society underserved market in terms of breweries so I think that's why there's a little bit more potential to grow there," Watson said.
Watson said breweries would have to differentiate themselves in the post-pandemic era.
"Breweries can really stand out on the way they brand themselves and how they position themselves in the marketplace," Watson said.
Robinsons says for Sun King's next phase in Sarasota, he's coming with a lot of institutional knowledge, a great team, infrastructure and optimism.
"We're here to grow and be a part of the community and do what we do and do what we love," Robinson said.
Sun King Brewery opens Friday, July 22, at the Mango Avenue location and will hold special events all weekend.