NORFOLK, Va. — While the CEO of Armed Forces Brewing Company said he needed to move the brewery's headquarters out of Norfolk, Virginia, "because of the actions of a group of people with a woke agenda," others suggest it's the breweries business practices to blame for its closure.
In a statement to WTKR, Armed Forces Brewing Company CEO Alan Beal said that group continues to "affect our ability to operate profitably in Norfolk. We have closed the taproom and brewing facility in Virginia and plan to relocate our business to a more pro-small business social and economic climate."
"We are not closing Armed Forces Brewing Company. We are moving from the toxic environment these local individuals have created," Beal said. "We met and worked with some wonderful people here, and we especially thank the Hampton Roads military and veteran community for their patronage and support of our taproom and the company in general."
WTKR UPDATE: Companies claim Virginia brewery that blamed woes on 'woke mob' owes them money
The primary push back the brewery has received, according to WTKR reporting, is over how some people perceive the company’s views on the LGBTQ community.
In December 2023, WTKR reported that a member of the brewery's leadership criticized the Navy on social media for its use of drag performers as military recruiters.
"The fact that they didn’t make it in Norfolk says more about them than it does about Norfolk. I think this is a good sign that Norfolk can come together and support local businesses that support Norfolk," said Norfolk LGBT Life Center CEO Stacie Walls in reaction to Armed Forces Brewing Company's decision to leave.
Beal, who emphasized that Armed Forces Brewing Company was not closing but moving from Hampton Roads, said Norfolk was chosen for its large military and veteran community and expressed gratitude to those who supported them.
"Unfortunately, our ability to profitably operate in Norfolk was severely affected by the local woke mob—a few individuals in the area who have no love for the traditional American values we hold as a company," Beal's statement read. "These people spread outright lies about our company, our employees, and our shareholders before we even opened our doors. We unfortunately live in a world where getting called a 'homophobe,' 'transphobe,' and 'racist' over and over by a small number of people can get amplified online, making it difficult for a small business to overcome at the local level."
In a previous interview with WTKR, Beal said his company was not anti-LGBTQ.
Watch: 'It hurts:' Companies claim they're owed money by Armed Forces Brewing Company
Days after he made the "woke mob" claim, various businesses came forward to report the brewery owed them money.
Wisconsin-based hop grower Matt Miles sells hops to Armed Forces Brewing Company’s Norfolk brewery.
An invoice he shared with WTKR showed he provided more than $2,300 worth of hops from his farm to the brewery in January.
Miles said he has not yet been paid for the product.
"We’re definitely going to be hurting from not receiving this payment from them," Miles, a Marine Corps veteran who added that Armed Forces Brewing Company has paid for previous shipments, said. "It’s a company that I thought I had something in common with, that I could trust."
Miles said he was talking to an attorney about his legal options.
Freelance Security LLC President and CEO Vernon Clifton told WTKR that he too was weighing his legal options.
"I can’t say I’m happy at all about this situation," Clifton said.
Clifton said his Portsmouth-based company hadn’t been paid the money he said Armed Forces Brewing Company owed his company for providing security at the Norfolk brewery.
He said he could’ve stopped providing service when he stopped getting paid but wanted to give the company a chance.
A notice from the Norfolk Treasurer’s Office was posted on the brewery’s door as of Monday that said the property and any other company property in Virginia would be levied or sold as needed to pay taxes the company owes.
Online records Monday showed the company owed close to $13,000 in real estate taxes. An SEC filing shows the company had also lost close to $2 million before opening the Norfolk location.
WTKR has repeatedly reached out by phone and email to the company’s CEO for comment, but as of Monday afternoon, he had not responded.
Armed Forces Brewing Company, which is located on West 24th Street in the former O'Connors Brewery, has not yet indicated when or where the brewery will move.
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