NewsRegionDetroit

Actions

Founders Brewing Company reopens Detroit taproom with new management, community-based mission

Posted at 6:38 PM, Feb 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-06 18:38:46-05

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Founders Brewing Company's taproom in Detroit is back open with new management and a mission to be inclusive and a part of the community.

"We want everyone to come down and as this place grows, our outreach will grow with it," said the brewing company's co-founder and CEO Mike Stevens.

The taproom that offers a full menu closed several months ago amid allegations of a racist culture that was tolerated by management.

“After three months of progress behind-the-scenes, now is the best time to honor our commitments in Detroit and reopen the Detroit taproom,” Stevens said in a statement. “While our intentions were good when we first launched the taproom in 2017, we need to make more efforts to connect in meaningful ways with the City of Detroit. We’re going to do this right and we look forward to sharing the journey with our fans, community partners and business partners.”

Founders will be offering hospitality training to Detroiters and also offering jobs to those who often find it difficult to find employment because of criminal convictions.

For the next three years, Founders Brewing Company will be donating all of their profits from the Detroit taproom to Detroit charities and outreach programs.

Another significant move includes a change in management.

New management is now in place as the former general manager was terminated and four managers either moved on to other jobs or were also fired.

Much of the staff remains the same because the company continued to pay them their salaries during the closure.