Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | February 24, 2025 | wbjournal.com "If we had any degree of success, it was allowing collaboration, allowing creativity, and allowing people's happiness." When did you first think about closing? Dani Babineau, CEO: We spent a long time just waiting for the hammer to drop, essentially. Or waiting to get to the point where we needed to make that de- cision. We spent years since the pandem- ic just waiting for things to pick up and waiting for things to turn around. Dan Carlson, head of marketing: We spent the post-COVID years trying to do more, really hitting hard on events, try- ing to increase wholesales, trying things like seltzer and cocktails and investing in the cafe program. All of those things worked to an extent. ey were popular, but it just wasn't moving the needle. Dani: I remember spending a year saying, "Just a couple of good weeks." en it became a point where we kept falling far enough behind that it was like, "Okay, well, we need a couple good months." We had one spring that was PHOTOS | COURTESY OF REDEMPTION ROCK really good, and we were moving in the right direction. And then the bottom fell out. How did the overall struggles of the craft beer industry factor in? Dani: We didn't make the decision to close because of the current state of the beer industry. For a brewery that was under capitalized, our expenses were way too high. We had a lot of factors working against us, and some of those were the What happened to Redemption Rock? R edemption Rock Brewing opened in an industrial area off Worcester's Shrewsbury Street in January 2019, later becoming the first certified B Corp. cra brewery in the state in the process. Founded on a mission of giving back to the community while providing residents with a third space outside of home and work where they could socialize and connect, the brew- ery's warm atmosphere and uniquely local brews quickly made it a favorite of the city's food and beverage scene. Yet, aer a six-year run which saw the business brew thousands of barrels of beer, donate tens of thousands to local nonprofits, and nav- igate the complications of COVID, Redemption Rock closed its doors for good on Dec. 29. WBJ sat down with co-founders Dani Babineau, Dan Carlson, and Greg Carlson to discuss the reasons behind the closure, the realities of running a small business in Worcester, and the legacy the brewery le behind. Jimmy, the brewery's cat, frequently appeared in Redemption Rock's marketing efforts and now resides with a friend of a former employee. Dani Babineau (front row, third from right), Greg Carlson (front row, second from left), and Dan Carlson (middle row, behind Dani) pose with Redemption Rock employees from past and present on the brewery's final night of operation on Dec. 29.

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