Madison’s Karben4 Brewing has filed for bankruptcy, but the filing won’t result in the closure of the business or employee layoffs or loss of pay, the brewery’s attorney said on Wednesday, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The brewery is still recovering from COVID-related financial losses and filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, attorney Jerry Kerkman said. “Part of the difficulty is that the sales mix has changed,” Kerkman said. “The company is changing the mix of the type of products they have to regain profitability, but their margins aren’t there yet.” Karben4 Brewing co-owner Zak Koga said that since COVID hit in 2020 that the brewery has pivoted every few months to adjust its business focus. “As pandemic aid dried up and inflation ramped up, we have been running out of room to pivot," Koga said.
