West Hartford Coffee Roaster/Beer Brewery Announces Closure

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A locally based brewery specializing in coffee and beer will close at the end of the month, its owners announced on Wednesday.

WeHa Brewing & Roasting Co. has announced it will close its West Hartford taproom and café at the end of July, citing ongoing challenges facing the craft beer industry.

In a social media post, the Elmwood brewery said it will remain open Thursday through Sunday for the next two weekends, or until it runs out of beer, giving customers one last opportunity to visit.

"We're saddened to announce that WeHa will be closing its doors at the end of this month," the company wrote.

The brewery attributed the decision to a combination of economic pressures, including rising operating costs, stagnant sales, and legal expenses.

"If you have been living under a rock, the craft beer industry has struggled mightily since 2020," the post said. "We have faced increasing costs (property taxes in West Hartford have skyrocketed since we opened), unexpected litigation, and stagnant sales, all of which in one way or another have contributed to the decision to close our doors."

The owners thanked customers, employees, and business partners for supporting the brewery over the past five years.

"We are grateful for your support over the last five years," the company wrote. "We wanted to thank our customers, our partners who believed in us, and our employees who always got it done despite less-than-ideal conditions."

The brewery also expressed appreciation to DRDC Studios and Bigger Beast Records for their partnership.

Located in West Hartford's Elmwood neighborhood, WeHa Brewing & Roasting Company opened in 2020 as Connecticut's first business to combine a small-batch coffee roastery with a craft brewery.

The company described its mission as creating "an inclusive, communal gathering place for the people of Connecticut to connect, sip, and share."

The business encouraged patrons to stop in over its remaining days in operation for "one last pint" before it closes later this month.