Urban Consequence Brewing Co. will close its Midtown Memphis brewery and taproom on Saturday, Sept. 21, after nearly 2.5 years in business.
Owner and brewer Jeff Sable, a psychology professor and longtime homebrewer, ran the small operation on a two-barrel system.
Sable told Memphis Beer Blog that there were many factors behind the closure, but it really came down to one thing: not enough customers.
“If we had more traffic, it would overcome a lot of [factors],” Sable said. “It’s getting where it’s just not feasible to keep going.”
Sable pointed to a broader shift in Memphis toward taprooms that can provide food, cocktails, an ever-evolving beer menu, and more frequent events—things Urban Consequence couldn’t replicate on its scale.
“My head’s not big enough to wear that many hats,” Sable said. “There are places around the country where smaller taprooms … are actually doing better. But I think people in Memphis are looking for more variety.”
Urban Consequence opened in May 2023 at 820 S. Cooper St., next to Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant.
The 50-seat taproom offered styles such as a Hefeweizen, a Simcoe SMaSH IPA, an Irish Red, and a peanut butter chocolate milk stout, but did not distribute beers outside of the taproom walls.
Sable hinted that a new concept — “something unique in Memphis and in the beverage scene” — would likely be taking over his Cooper Street space.
Urban Consequence’s closure comes during a challenging time for craft beer nationally — and a particularly turbulent stretch for the Memphis craft beer scene.
Since the start of 2024, Memphis Made Brewing Co. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Hook Point Brewing has closed its Collierville brewery, Grind City Brewing Co. has ended distribution to focus on its taproom, and Flyway Brewing has acquired the High Cotton brand.
“Nationally and even internationally, I think that alcohol preferences are changing,” Sable said. “People aren’t going out as much, so that’s a big challenge. … It’s tough seeing some great places around the country closing.”
Sable, who began a new full-time role at the University of Memphis this semester, said he’ll continue to support other breweries as a customer.
“In the last four years-plus since we started down this road, I’m still very interested, I’m still very passionate about it. I do hope to spend more time supporting the other taprooms. … I’m looking forward to that,” he said,
Urban Consequence will mark its final week with a trivia night Thursday and a comedy show Friday. Urban Consequence will also be pouring on Saturday at Christian Brothers University’s Oktoberfest alumni event.
Despite the challenges, Sable said the experience of opening a brewery brought meaningful highlights.
“For us, from the get go, it was about having a good time — people enjoying themselves and hopefully enjoying the beer,” Sable said,
“It was never really about making a lot of money, but about the relationships and connections with people.”