USA, CA: Sequoia Brewing Company to close all three of its locations in Central Valley

Sequoia Brewing Company will close all three of its locations in the Central Valley on February 16, according to news and social media reports.

The longtime brewpub has locations in north Fresno, the Tower District and Visalia.

An employee on February 13 confirmed the impending closure of the Tower location.

Sequoia Brewing Company has been a staple in the Central Valley since 2000, when it acquired local favorite Butterfield Brewing.

Longtime owners Scott and Michelle Kendall sold the business to Jeremy and Allison Smith, a married couple, in 2020.

Attempts to reach the owner were unsuccessful on February 13.

A social media post from a longtime bartender said the company has filed for bankruptcy, but no filing for parent company J&A Mash Barrel, LLC, in federal bankruptcy court could be located Thursday.

Fresno County Superior Court records show that the property owner of the North Fresno location sued to evict Sequoia Brewing in August 2024.

Bartender Eric Buterbaugh’s social media post also suggested the closures were because the owner Smith “horrifically mismanaged his life and a very solid thriving business.”

An age discrimination lawsuit filed by former employee James Tomlinson against Sequoia Brewing Company in September 2024 contains allegations of mismanagement.

The defendant, who was 61 when the lawsuit was filed, said in the legal complaint that he was harassed and discriminated against for his age after the new ownership came in.

He said Smith frequently made comments about his age, calling him “old man” and asking him “Do you need a walker?”

Tomlinson’s allegations also state “Smith frequently got drunk at work,” including with the company’s human resources representative.

“The more Smith drank while at work, the more he terrorized Tomlinson, making disparaging remarks about his age,” the complaint states.

In an answer to the lawsuit filed Jan. 24, the company denied every allegation lodged against them by Tomlinson.

Allison Smith filed a petition for divorce from Jeremy Smith in September 2024.

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