Sapporo USA is preparing to lay off 50 workers at their Stone Brewing-branded Escondido brewery and bistro as the company begins a phased wind-down of the North County site. The move comes after the Stone Brewing brand was sold to California-based Firestone Walker Brewing Company and Duvel Moortg at USA. The agreement did not include Sapporo USA’s Stone-branded Escondido location off Citracado Parkway. WARN notice filings show plans to lay off 50 workers there this fall.  In a statement sent to NBC San Diego, Sapporo USA said, “Following the sale of the Stone brand earlier this year, Sapporo USA has been supporting a smooth production transition to the new brand owners. As this transition nears the end, we will begin a phased wind-down of the Sapporo USA Escondido brewery and bistro operations. Despite diligent efforts, we have not yet found a viable long-term solution for the Escondido site. We have notified our employees of upcoming layoffs in mid-October and mid-November, providing maximum advance notice. This is an understandably difficult time for our Escondido employees and community, and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition.” When the Stone Brewing acquisition was announced in a press release in May, Sapporo USA said it was evaluating long-term options for the Escondido location. Related stories Business Apr 21 Escondido's Stone Brewing being sold once again Escondido May 25, 2024 Sapporo-Stone Brewing leads to expansion in Escondido San Diego Jun 24, 2022 Stone Brewing Acquired By Japanese Brewery Sapporo For $165 Million Apr 10, 2020 Hundreds Laid off at Stone Brewing in Pandemic's Wake Other Stone Brewing locations are expected to remain open under the deal. According to the release, Stone’s Liberty Station site will remain, along with taprooms in downtown San Diego, Oceanside and Pasadena. Liberty Station will also continue operating as an active brewery, maintaining Stone Brewing’s physical presence in San Diego. The release also mentioned some brewing operations will move to Firestone Walker’s Paso Robles brewery. Before the acquisition news, Stone Brewing guests spoke about changes affecting the beer industry and local breweries. Stone Brewing guest Hiram Soto said, “Well, I think the beer industry is changing rapidly, consumer tastes are evolving and they’re changing, and so there’s a lot of challenges. I’m not surprised that there is a merger happening here.” The latest sale marks the second time the Stone beer brand has changed ownership in the last several years. Sapporo bought Stone Brewing in 2022. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less