174 workers face layoffs as Guinness Open Gate Brewery prepares to close in Baltimore County

HALETHORPE, Md. — Nearly 200 workers are expected to lose their jobs as the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe prepares to close.

A notice filed with the Maryland Department of Labor says 174 Aramark employees working at the site will be laid off effective Nov. 1.

The layoffs provide a clearer picture of the impact of the brewery's closure. When Diageo, the parent company of Guinness, announced the decision last week, the company did not say how many jobs would be affected.

Diageo told WMAR-2 News it decided to close the Guinness Open Gate Brewery after reviewing its operations and long-term business priorities. The company cited increasing operating costs, changes in consumer demand and broader economic pressures that made the Baltimore County operation increasingly difficult to sustain.

The brewery opened in 2018 and has welcomed more than 2 million visitors from Maryland and across the country, according to the company.

This isn't the first round of job losses connected to the Halethorpe facility. In 2023, Diageo closed a manufacturing operation next to the brewery, laying off about 97 workers. The brewery, taproom and restaurant remained open at the time.

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery's last day open to the public will be Nov. 1, with operations expected to fully end by the end of the year.

Diageo says it will also establish a $250,000 community fund to support local organizations focused on expanding economic opportunities and the local hospitality industry.

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