Two Triangle Craft Breweries Shut Taprooms Amid Rising Operating Costs

The Triangle's craft beer scene lost two more taprooms as Funguys Brewing and Proximity Brewing both closed, adding to a string of shutdowns that has quietly thinned the region's local brewery map.

Proximity Brewing, founded by Blacktoberfest co-creator Mike Potter and recognized as Durham's only Black-owned brewery, closed its Driver Street taproom in East Durham as of Thursday, March 26. The brewery had been open less than three years. In a social media post, Proximity cited "ongoing challenges and the realities of high operating costs" and described the move as a deliberate step toward sustainability.

"This is a reset, not an ending," the brewery wrote. "We're committed to returning stronger, more focused, and ready to continue creating great beer and meaningful experiences."

Proximity made clear the taproom closing isn't the end of its brewing operation. The brewery said it will keep producing beer and honoring its wholesale commitments, meaning its beers should remain findable in the community even without a physical pour room to walk into.

"We will continue brewing and remain active with our wholesale partners, ensuring that you can still find and enjoy our beer in the community," Proximity wrote. "During this time, we'll be taking a step back to thoughtfully reconfigure our business model and explore opportunities for a new location that better aligns with our long-term vision."

The post hinted that a new taproom could open in the future.

Funguys Brewing also closed a taproom in the Triangle. The brewery has not publicly detailed its location, timing, or plans going forward.

The two closures arrive after a punishing stretch for Triangle brewing. Vicious Fishes shuttered both its Apex and Fuquay-Varina locations. Cotton House Craft Brewers in Cary marked its last day in November, and Pittsboro's Havoc Brewing announced its closure in December. Together they form a pattern that Proximity's situation makes explicit: high operating costs have been grinding at taproom-dependent business models across the region.

Shedding the Driver Street overhead while keeping beer in production gives Proximity a path to regroup on its own terms. Whether Potter eventually secures a second address that better fits the long-term vision, and what Funguys' next move looks like, remain open questions. The Triangle has watched a lot of taproom lights go out over the past year; whether any flicker back on is the harder part of that story.