Second Self Beer Co. is set to close next week after nine years.
Owners Chris Doyle and Jason Santamaria announced the June 17 closure at 1317 Logan Circle in the Upper Westside neighborhood in a Facebook post, along with an accompanying video.
“After months of fighting and trying to make it work we are faced with the hard decision to close our doors for good,” the Facebook statement said. “This doesn’t come easily or lightly but out of necessity...for everyone who has supported us through these past 9 years, thank you. It has been a pleasure to serve you all. To our staff, we’ve always said it, but you are the best and hardest working group of people either of us have ever worked with, and we are proud to have worked with all of you.
When we started, we were the 42nd brewery to open in GA and the state’s seen a lot of changes and growth since then. Some have gone to great heights, some have diminished, and several of us have closed. If we want to see the current breweries survive, we need to support them...While this did not work out how we wanted, we are proud we pursued our Second Self and were able to live our dream for these 9 years. Many of our best memories are here and with this company. For those who want to make your Second Self your first self, do it sooner rather than later. It’s highly rewarding personally and professionally, even if it doesn’t work out.”
Jonathan Phillips
Jonathan Phillips
The pair encouraged patrons to support the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild and to “try to change some of the terrible laws in this state.”
The brewery has reduced its hours to Fridays and Saturdays, with several events leading up to the closure.
Santamaria told the Atlanta Business Chronicle that decision to close was due to a variety of reasons, including the economic fallout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of contract brewing customers and the Georgia law that gives wholesale beer distributors franchise rights to breweries’ products.
About a year ago, Second Self announced plans to partner with Atlanta Brewing Co. as a contract brewer following Atlanta Brewing Company’s relocation to Underground Atlanta from its longtime home in the Upper Westside area.
Santamaria and Doyle, Georgia Tech grads and fraternity roommates, started Second Self as a homebrewing operation in 2010, and opened their taproom in 2014 with a lineup of beers that included Thai Wheat and Game Night IPA.
Second Self is the third longtime metro Atlanta brewery to close over the past few months. Orpheus Brewing closed in Midtown in April, while Burnt Hickory shuttered its Kennesaw location in May, with plans to reopen in the coming months.
Santamaria and Atlanta Brewing Co. CEO Alton Shields did not respond to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s request for more information.
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
