Full Pint Beer, operating under Franklin Lagers & Ales LLC, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in 6 years.
The filing, submitted last month (November 4th, 2025) in western PA, lists between $500,000 and $1 million in both assets and liabilities, marking another tough moment for one of Pittsburgh’s once-prominent craft breweries.
Full Pint was originally founded in 2009, and became a recognizable name in Western PA’s beer community. After previously declaring bankruptcy in 2019, the brewery was acquired by Franklin Lagers & Ales in 2021. Now, just four years after the takeover, the brewery finds itself in the same dire financial situation.
Before this latest setback, Full Pint operated a taproom and restaurant in Warrendale, along with a production facility in North Versailles. The taproom featured a lineup of 13 beers on draft, and the brewery canned eight additional beers for distribution. Their reach was notable: Full Pint products were available in roughly 50 Pittsburgh-area bars and restaurants, plus around 115 retailers and distributors throughout the region.
Sources cited in recent reports suggest the brewery faced multiple challenges that have become all too familiar in the craft beer world. Inflation, increased ingredient and labor costs, shifting consumer preferences, and a more competitive drinking market have made it harder for many breweries to stay afloat.
Nationally, craft beer volume is estimated to be down about 5% year-over-year, and the total number of operating breweries has dropped as well.
Full Pint’s situation reflects the reality many Pennsylvania breweries are facing: the market is tighter, margins are smaller, and consumer spending patterns continue to shift.
For longtime fans of the brand, the filing marks another disappointing chapter. For the state’s craft beer community, it’s a reminder of how important it is to support local breweries, especially in a climate where even well-known names can disappear overnight.
