Multiple factors, including an ending lease and economic challenges led Platypus Brewing partners to fully shift to a new project which is bigger than beer.
A popular Houston Heights brewery with an Australian flavor will be closing soon. Platypus Brewing announced in April they will be closing at the end of the month, but Platypus will be back next.
Platypus going ‘on the bench’
Founder Sean Hanrahan says after an amazing nine years, and the lease up May 31 at Silver St. near Washington Ave. Hanrahan asked his partners: “is this the right exit point for the business?”
The Australian spirit can be felt in both the atmosphere and the beverages, with Australian ingredients and classic dishes including fish and chips and meat pies. He says their version is better than the Brits’.
The beer that Hanrahan calls his favorite is the Bobby Dazzler.
“Aussies who are fresh off the boat, as we call it….I’ll say hey, try this, and they go, ‘oh yes, that reminds me of home’,” Hanrahan said.
“We’re pretty stoked that we’ve been able to form those relationships all through a beer,” Hanrahan said.
He said the Platypus brand will keep living, as many businesses are navigating a difficult economic landscape.
Hanrahan says multiple economic factors are squeezing his business: rising food costs (especially proteins), change in consumer spending, and the lease renewal. He says both sides tried to reach an agreement.
“We’ve got nothing but respect for the landlord,” he said. “There’s a bit of geopolitical things going on right now and macros, and it’s starting to bite.”
After May 31, Hanrahan’s attention will fully shift to the Oasis. This will become a 2.5 acre community hub on the 610 N Loop near Shepherd Drive.
“Relaxed, sophisticated green space, a lot of indoor and outdoor activities, the dining, and a vast array of beverages,” Hanrahan said.
Hanrahan says he won’t miss the hot August months brewing without AC, but he appreciates the outpouring of emotion after sharing the news.
“We really did have an impact in people’s lives,” he said. “They will really miss it, which is why I’m trying to stay upbeat because it’s far from dead. In fact it’s quite the opposite.”
Hanrahan said Platypus’ final day is May 31, and he’s aiming for a mid-2027 opening of the Oasis.
What the business community is seeing
At 19th St. in the heart of the Heights, others are celebrating career moves. Christyna Lewis, a financial advisor, says she is seeing those impacts firsthand with her clients.
She is celebrating an open house after moving into one of the spaces.
“Increased gas prices…the on again, off again tariffs and all of the changes that are coming down in how we’re supposed to do things,” Lewis said.
Staffing challenges, increased rent, health insurance costs, and cost of goods is also creating uncertainty, according to the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re trying to connect our businesses with resources, grants that are coming out from different non-profits, different organizations…so we’re partnering with them and trying to ultimately get them access to resources,” Tammi Wallace, co-founder, president and CEO of the chamber, said.
Wallace said one of their 600+ business members closed in Cypress due to an increase in rent.
Wallace encourages business owners to join local chambers and connect with others to get closer to resources that can help.
“You never know who you’re going to connect with, that might be a great opportunity to find the resource, the landlord, somebody that knows someone right now,” Wallace said.
Lewis encourages other businesses to take advantage of those connections.
“Houston is such an entrepreneurial city. We are people who have a vision and we will go out and we will do it, and then the community comes around us and is so encouraging,” Lewis said.
The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce offers several resources, including healthcare for member businesses. This month, they are hosting a conference connecting small business owners to resources to help them grow.
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