USA, CO: Pilothouse Brewing Co. closes, files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy

The ship has sailed for Aurora’s nautical-themed brewery, BusinessDen reported on March 3.

Pilothouse Brewing Co., which opened in August 2017 at 4233 S. Buckley Road, closed in recent days, and said in a Feb. 27 bankruptcy filing that it owes between $100,001 and $500,000 to between one and 49 creditors.

The brewery said it has assets in the same range. Chapter 7 bankruptcies are typically a liquidation process, where a trustee is appointed to oversee a selloff of the debtor’s assets.

The 3,000-square-foot brewery was founded by Jean Verrier, who is listed as president on the bankruptcy filing, along with his wife and brother-in-law. The co-owners initially invested $650,000 into the space, plus $100,000 in tenant improvements from Kimco Realty, according to previous BusinessDen reporting.

Verrier didn’t respond to requests for comment on March 2. The brewery’s website and Facebook page were taken down as of the morning of March 2.

Jonathan Dickey with Buechler Law Office in Denver is representing the company in bankruptcy proceedings. He could not be reached for comment on March 2.

Pilothouse Brewing Co. catered to homebrewers and poured pints for the public. For a fee, homebrewers could use Pilothouse’s facilities to brew their own recipes. The brewery’s theme came from Verrier and his wife’s love for sailing.

Two other breweries in the Mile High metro area have filed for bankruptcy in the past four months. Denver’s Declaration Brewing Co., located at 2030 S. Cherokee St., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. GrowlerU Franco LLC, which does business as Growler USA in Centennial and West Highland, also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November.

Companies use Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize and help keep the business alive, paying creditors over time.

03 March, 2020