Jacksonville’s Intuition Ale Works to close April 24 as downtown lease expires after 15 years

Downtown craft brewery sets final day as sale effort ends without a buyer

Intuition Ale Works, one of Jacksonville’s best-known early craft breweries, will permanently close on April 24, 2026, when its downtown lease reaches expiration. Founder and owner Ben Davis said operations will continue as normal through the final day, including previously booked private events and scheduled programming in the venue space known as the Bier Hall.

The announcement concludes a months-long effort to sell the business that began publicly in spring 2025. Davis said he pursued “every realistic path forward” but did not secure a buyer with the capacity to continue the brand and its operations.

From Riverside startup to Sports Complex anchor

Intuition launched in 2010 in Riverside at 720 King St., part of a wave that helped establish Jacksonville’s modern craft beer scene. In 2016, the company moved its brewing and hospitality operations to the former Noland Building at 929 E. Bay St., near the Downtown Sports Complex, a location positioned to benefit from major event traffic tied to the nearby stadium, arena and ballpark.

Public records and prior business filings around the move show a scale-up in physical footprint and production ambitions. Earlier planning for the Bay Street site described a larger brewing facility, taproom space and event components intended to support both wholesale distribution and on-site revenue.

Costs, competition and unmet redevelopment expectations

In his closing message, Davis cited structural pressures that have intensified for small breweries in the years following the COVID-era disruptions: higher operating costs, thinner margins and increasing competition across the craft segment. He also tied the decision to what he described as a mismatch between the downtown area’s long-promised redevelopment and the day-to-day economics of operating in that corridor.

“Renderings and potential do not pay the bills,” Davis wrote in the statement announcing the closure.

While acknowledging the move downtown as deliberate and ambitious, Davis said the financial burdens associated with the location ultimately made long-term sustainability unattainable for the business as currently structured.

What customers can expect through April

• The taproom, kitchen operations tied to the site, and the Bier Hall are expected to remain open through April 24.
• Scheduled private events are expected to proceed as planned before closing day.
• The April 24 date is set as the final operating day, aligned with the lease timeline.

Impact on a longtime local brand

Over roughly 15 years, Intuition developed from a neighborhood brewery into a regional brand identified with downtown pre-event gatherings and live entertainment. The planned closure marks another high-profile change for Jacksonville’s hospitality sector near the Sports Complex, where business performance is often shaped by event schedules, construction cycles and broader redevelopment timelines.