A Port Coquitlam brewery is now a casualty of COVID-19 and the struggling hospitality industry.
Taylight Brewery — located at 1485 Coast Meridian Rd. — has announced across its social media channels that it's shutting down on Friday (Nov. 5).
The company stated it has struggled for the last 20 months and tried to stay positive.
"However, we regret to inform you that the effects of COVID-19 has unfortunately caught up to us and we will no longer be able to keep our doors open for the foreseeable future."
Owned by Geordie Anderson and Cameron Taylor, Taylight was one of the original craft breweries to open up in Port Coquitlam.
In an email to the Tri-City News, Anderson expressed his "disappointment" in the closure and said he appreciated the support from the community.
The craft brewery opened in August 2018 and was recently listed as a stop on the BC Ale Trail’s North of the Fraser route.
The acknowledgment was a brief boon to Taylight, which posted a note about the craft beer trail on its Instagram as recently as last a few days ago.
The City of Port Coquitlam has also tried to help smooth some of the bumps in the road during COVID-19.
Recognizing that its hospitality industry was struggling, the city allowed breweries to expand outdoor patios to accommodate social distancing during the pandemic.
It even allowed alcohol in city parks to promote social gatherings, an effort that could also support local breweries.
Mayor Brad West expressed his disappointment about the closure of the business to the Tri-City News in a statement and plans to meet with the owners on Thursday, Nov. 4.
"I want to thank you for everything you did to contribute to Port Coquitlam and the growth of the craft beer in our city," West said in his statement, referencing the owners of the business.
He also expressed disappointment that there wasn't more support provided by the provincial and federal governments to businesses facing these circumstances.
But, according to Taylight, the economics did not justify continuing to operate despite warm acceptance by the community.
The post goes on to thank PoCo and Tri-City residents for the "constant support" throughout the last three years.
"We truly feel the love which makes this so much harder to do. We are saddened to know that we are not the first and most definitely won’t be the last small business to shut the doors due to the lingering effects of this unprecedented pandemic."
The plan is to shut the doors at the end of the evening on Friday. Anyone with gift cards is encouraged to drop by and use them.
As well, many of the products will be heavily discounted to move "as much inventory before we shut the doors."
