The 2026 Brewery Survival Plan: Behind the Tab Edition

We launched the Behind the Tab podcast in October 2025 to share real conversations from the front lines of hospitality. Each episode sits down with operators and innovators who are building, adapting, and leading in a fast-changing food and beverage industry. 

Our goal is simple: listen closely, learn what’s working, and bring those insights back to the community so more operators can grow smarter and stronger together.

As we enter season two of the podcast, the momentum continues. The season opened with a deep dive into the next chapter of food halls, followed by a candid conversation this week on what survival looks like for breweries in today’s market. 

Running a brewery in 2026 is not easy. Foot traffic is softer. Costs are higher. Guests are more careful with their money. And every few weeks, it feels like another brewery announces a closure, a sale, or a major change.

This isn’t just happening in one city. It’s happening everywhere.

On a recent episode, we spoke with Parker Loudermilk, co-founder of Fait La Force Brewing in Nashville. His story reflects what many brewery owners and operators are experiencing right now: shifting demand, tighter margins, and the need to rethink what a modern brewery really is.

Here’s what Parker -- and other operators like him -- are learning about surviving in a tough craft beer market.

When Great Beer Is No Longer Enough

For years, the rule was simple: If the beer was good, people showed up. That is no longer guaranteed.

Parker said he and his partner started Fait La Force Brewing because they could not find the beers they loved in their local market. “We were hungry for these beers and craving them enough that we were flying them home with us all the time,” he said. “So we asked ourselves, ‘Why don’t we just do this ourselves?’”

They did not chase trends. Instead, Parker said, they focused on brewing what they personally believed in. “We were kind of selfish,” he said. “When we open a brewery, that’s what we’re going to make. And hopefully the people who like it will find us.”

That authenticity still matters. But in today’s market, Parker said, great beer has to be paired with a great experience. That shift is why many breweries are rethinking service models, from QR ordering to handhelds to self-service options, with the goal of making guests feel comfortable, confident, and welcome.

Today, Fait La Force is a local favorite, known not only for its beer but for the environment it creates. Parker said the mission has always been to build a space that feels inclusive and approachable for every type of drinker, whether someone is a craft beer expert, a first-timer, a wine drinker, or somewhere in between. 

The brewery aims to work alongside the community, not against it, while valuing representation, fairness, and creative expression through beer, art, and music.

The Taproom Is the Experience

Early craft breweries often shared a similar look, concrete floors, loud music, metal chairs, and a garage-style aesthetic. For a time, that approach worked.

Parker said those environments often made people feel uncomfortable or out of place. “It kind of became exclusive,” he said. “Maybe not intentionally exclusive, but it did exclude a lot of people from feeling welcome and comfortable.”

At Fait La Force, that observation shaped a different approach. “Let’s make beer that we think is really beautiful,” Parker said, “but also do it in a space that feels welcoming and invites more people to the table to share beers and stories.”

The taproom reflects that philosophy, feeling more like a living room than a warehouse. Parker described it as having an old-world Victorian feel, with couches and a soft, warm atmosphere designed to put guests at ease.

That sense of comfort, he said, is not just aesthetic. It is a business decision. When guests feel relaxed, they tend to stay longer, order more and return more often. As a result, many breweries are rethinking how their spaces work alongside ordering and payment flow, rather than against it.

Inclusivity Is a Growth Strategy

For Parker Loudermilk, inclusivity is not a buzzword. It is a business strategy.

During the podcast, he explained that today’s brewery guests do not all want the same thing. Some come for beer. Others prefer wine or cocktails. Some are looking for non-alcoholic options. And some simply want a comfortable place to spend time. From the beginning, Parker and his team designed Fait La Force to welcome all of them.

“We wanted everything to kind of tie back in,” Parker said. “Old world meets new world.”

That philosophy shows up throughout the space. The taproom feels classic, warm, and inviting, but never stiff or overly serious. “It’s old and it’s nice and classy and warm,” he said, “but it’s also like, let’s not take ourselves too seriously. This is fun.”

Parker summed up their approach simply. “We take the beer super, super seriously so you don’t have to.”

For breweries navigating today’s market, inclusivity goes beyond values or aesthetics. As Parker made clear, it directly impacts how long groups stay and how much they spend. When more people in a group feel welcome, the experience lasts longer. And when the experience lasts longer, the business benefits.

Why Food Still Matters (Even If Your Brewery Doesn’t Run the Kitchen)

Most guests don’t want to go to three places in one night. They want beer, food and comfort in one stop. Parker said Fait La Force first tried doing food themselves, but it didn’t match the quality of their beer. So the team partnered with a food concept instead.

That decision helped them: 

- Improve guest experience
- Increase dwell time
- Reduce operational stress
- Keep the brand consistent

More breweries are choosing partnerships over running kitchens themselves, but that approach only works when the experience feels seamless. Guests do not want to juggle multiple tabs, stand in separate lines or guess where to order next. That is where unified ordering and payments matter. GoTab provides flexible solutions designed to bring everything into a single flow, helping breweries reduce friction, streamline service and keep the focus on hospitality rather than logistics.

Friction Kills the Experience

Small annoyances quickly feel big. Waiting too long to order, standing in multiple lines, opening more than one tab or not knowing where to go all chip away at the guest experience. Those moments stack up, often without operators realizing it in real time.

Parker said many breweries are now focused on removing friction wherever possible. When ordering, paying and reordering are easy, guests relax. And when guests relax, they stay longer. 

That shift, he noted, is not really about technology. It is about hospitality.

Great Beer Still Needs Education

Even some of the best beer styles in the world can intimidate guests. Parker pointed to saison, one of his favorite styles, as an example of how unfamiliar language can become a barrier. 

“People aren’t super familiar with it,” he said. “They don’t even want to make an attempt at it because it’s embarrassing to mispronounce the word.”

That hesitation has nothing to do with quality, Parker said, and everything to do with confidence. When menus feel intimidating, guests default to what they already know. Clear language, simple descriptions and approachable comparisons help guests feel comfortable exploring, and exploration often leads to higher check sizes.

A Market in Transition

The broader craft beer market is contracting. Brewery closures are rising and acquisitions are increasing. Parker acknowledged the industry has moved through its hype-driven phase and is beginning to settle. 

“It’s sort of gone through the hype cycle,” he said, noting that many drinkers are returning to more traditional styles.

As that shift continues, identity becomes increasingly important. Breweries that understand who they are, and who they are for, tend to last longer.

Instead of racing to expand, Parker said many operators are focusing on strengthening their core. That includes building out nonalcoholic programs, developing cocktail offerings, deepening community connections and being more intentional about distribution.

Growth does not always mean more locations. Sometimes it simply means doing fewer things better.

If your market feels harder than it used to, you are not imagining it. But you are also not alone. The breweries that survive will not just make great beer. They will build great experiences, and that is something no trend can replace.

Behind the Tab: Next Episode

Next episode on the Behind the Tab podcast, we will share part 2 of the conversation with Parker. The conversation will continue our focus on real-world hospitality, exploring how operators are navigating today’s challenges, adapting their models and building experiences that resonate with modern guests. 

Tune in as we dive into what’s working now, what’s changing and what the future holds for food and beverage operators on the front lines. The release date is set for January 21. Get all our episodes and subscribe at https://gotab.com/podcast.