08/08/2026
West Allis community. Help these guys out and stop for one!!
Ok, here's the post we didn't want to have to make. Layman Brewing has made it through lockdowns, changes in how/what people drink & socialize, & recession. We've survived old building issues, HVAC failures, accidental vehicular landscaping, crew members' changing life circumstances, frozen pipes, & a flood.
Mostly through sheer stubbornness and optimism, we (on both sides of the bar) have collectively built a unique alternative to the modern bar experience. If you've been to Layman, you know what we mean. If you haven't, now's the time.
We’ve been teetering on the cusp of profitability since the beginning but never quite crossed over from survival into success. It costs more money to make more money until we can hit a tipping point in daily sales. Part of this was a known issue with limited space, and not wanting to detract from the "Layman Experience" by marketing too much and exceeding our capacity.
After 6 years & a flood, we're finally a week away from having a functional back hall. Unfortunately, the process took longer than we thought & the money we've been bleeding every month waiting is starting to look grim.
We're SO excited for all the awesome events we can host in the back. We have worked SO HARD to get here & now we don't know if we'll make it long enough for things to turn around.
We should be celebrating our 6th anniversary right now. Instead, all our ingredients, insurance, services, etc. are about 30% more expensive than this time last year & we're biting our nails trying to figure out how to make ends meet & pay our crew a reasonable living wage.
So here's how you can help. We know times are tight, but if Layman means more to you than just a place to get a beer and a sandwich, we need you to come in more often and bring your friends. Spread the word about us & tell people why they need to be here.
We hate to admit things aren't great but we figure it's better to ask for help now than to post another brewery closing announcement in a couple months.
Thanks everyone, for your support through all these strange, eventful years. We hope we can continue to be here for you in the equally strange years to come.