Three Taverns Brewery is closing the taproom that started it all. The company announced it will shut down its New Street location at East Decatur Station, ending a 13-year run at what has long served as its flagship brewery and the spot where the business got its start.
As Decaturish reported, founder Brian “Beeps” Purcell broke the news in a social media post, writing that suspending production at the New Street site was a difficult decision after 13 amazing years. According to Atlanta News First, Purcell said the closure was one of the hardest notes he has ever had to write, and that barring an angel investor, it is no longer financially feasible for the company to keep operating the location.
Purcell has lived in Decatur for 20 years, and the station's report notes he described New Street as the place where Three Taverns got its start. The brewery has not yet announced a final day for the taproom, so regulars still have time to raise one last pint before the doors close for good.
What Stays Open, and What's Brewing Next
Not everything is going away. Purcell said the Imaginarium in Reynoldstown and the Ponce Brew Terminal on the Atlanta Beltline will remain open, keeping two of the brewery's taprooms pouring beers and cocktails even as the New Street facility goes quiet. The Imaginarium opened in 2020, per Rough Draft Atlanta, while the Ponce Brew Terminal debuted this past April at Signal House next to Ponce City Market as the company's third location.
Losing the New Street brewery is still a significant blow, since the same report describes it as the facility responsible for producing the beers that actually make it into the broader market. To bridge that gap, the company said it is working with a brewing partner to keep its core beers available on shelves and on tap at bars, restaurants and stores around town.
A Tough Stretch for Georgia's Craft Beer Scene
Three Taverns has built its identity around its hometown, incorporating Decatur into its branding through its “A Night on Ponce” line of brews, and the company has won numerous awards over the years. But the closure lands amid a broader squeeze on Georgia's craft-beer industry. A University of Georgia outlook described the state's brewers as facing slowed growth and heightened competition, with production volume continuing to decrease, according to the UGA CAES Field Report.
That same outlook found Georgia had 181 craft brewers in 2023, up slightly from 170 the year before, ranking the state 18th nationally, even as total value added from breweries fell 5% to $715 million from a record $745 million in 2022. Nationally, the picture hasn't improved much since: the Brewers Association estimated craft-beer volume declined 4% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, with 9,344 breweries operating in June 2026, down 1.8% from a year earlier.
Closer to home, WSB-TV reported that nearly a dozen breweries closed across metro Atlanta in 2024, part of why industry advocates have been pushing state lawmakers to pass the Craft Beer and Local Economy Revitalization Act. The pressure isn't unique to Georgia, either — in Ohio, Yellow Springs Brewery recently announced its Clintonville taproom and kitchen will close Dec. 23 after a little over three years, even as the company's original taproom and production brewery in Yellow Springs stay open, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
For now, Three Taverns fans in Decatur are left watching for word on exactly when the New Street taproom will pour its last pint. Decaturish reported it had emailed Purcell seeking further comment and would update its story when he responds.
