@ahrycyk

It’s confirmed; Duclaw in Fells Point is closing and today will be their last day of operation!

As for possible reasons:

Apparently they weren’t profiting as much as they hoped. Employees were shocked and only found out today. Crazy!

I haven’t seen anything yet on Twitter from @beerinbaltimore or @mdbeerspotter yet. I also didn’t see anything on either Beer in Baltimore blog (the .com or the blogspot one.) A quick glance at Elizabeth Large’s and Sam Sessa’s blogs showed nothing yet either.

If you have any other details, please leave a comment.

UPDATE: I left a message for marketing on the contact form on the Duclaw website and asked for any comments or replies to this report. I will update things with any reply I receive.

UPDATE 2
Anna Ditkoff reports on her phone call to the Fells location:

When I called to ask why, I was answered by an understandably testy employee. “Um, a combination of reasons,” she said. I could almost hear the eye roll. “Probably not enough business.” I have a call in to the corporate office to get a possibly more diplomatic reason, and to find out how the other locations are faring.

A commenter below also pointed out an excerpt from the MD Daily Record today about a suit against Duclaw:

A former executive chef at DuClaw Brewing Co. is suing the local chain, alleging that he was harassed and fired because he stood up for another employee who was a victim of discrimination. Chef Reginald Purdie alleges in his federal lawsuit that after he backed Tara Gardner, who is black and gay, other employees at …

UPDATE 3
Duclaw responds:

Yes our Fells Point location last day of operations is today. All other locations, including the brewery are operation [sic] as normal, only the Fells location is closing. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Dave Benfield
President
DuClaw Brewing Company

UPDATE 4
Elizabeth Large has more including a link to the full story on the lawsuit filed against Duclaw. The suit was filed over alleged discrimination at the Bel Air location.

UPDATE 5
Sam Sessa reports that Benfield blamed the down winter months, a disagreement with the landlord, the smoking ban, and the “suburban concept” of the chain for the closing.

UPDATE 6
Beer in Baltimore’s blurb on the closing:

In other DuClaw Brewing Co. news, owner David Benfield informed us that the Fell’s Point location will soon be closing. This decision has nothing to do with the success of the company, but rather a long-standing dispute with the building’s landlord. This decision has no impact on DuClaw’s three other locations.

Beer in Baltimore later updated their post to include the landlord dispute and the seasonal issues as factors in the closing.