Wico Street Beer Co. to close, ending Pigtown’s arcade-themed taproom

Wico Street Beer Co. is set to close its Pigtown taproom at the end of May, a loss that reaches beyond one brewery’s books and into the neighborhood’s beer culture. The arcade-themed spot at 1100 Wicomico Street had become a familiar stop for game nights, sour beer fans and anyone looking for a casual hangout a short walk from the stadiums.

The brewery, owned by cousins Jordan McGraw and Michael Richardson, said rising costs, changing consumer habits and a difficult sales climate made it impossible to keep going. That mix has become painfully familiar across craft beer, but the hit in Pigtown is especially visible because Wico Street was never just another taproom. It occupied 4,200 square feet on the first floor of the 1100 Wicomico building and built its identity around old-school arcade energy, pizza, and a lineup that leaned into sour beers.

For South Baltimore, the closure also weakens a neighborhood brewery circuit that had been trying to turn proximity into a draw. Wico Street was part of the South Baltimore Brewery District, announced in August 2023 by Checkerspot Brewing Co., Pickett Brewing Company, Suspended Brewing Company and Wico Street Beer Co. The district launched with an inaugural event on October 28, 2023, built around a walkable beer route near M&T Bank Stadium. Wico Street sat about a 10-minute walk from the ballpark, which made it an easy add-on for game days, pregame pints and neighborhood bar crawls.

Its final weeks will be limited. Wico Street plans to stay open Fridays through Sundays until its last day, giving regulars a short window for one more round under the arcade lights. That matters in a place like Pigtown, where a taproom with a distinct personality can function as a community room as much as a beer bar. When a spot like this disappears, locals lose a place to gather, a place to meet over a pint, and a place that helped define the block.

The closure also lands in a rough stretch for the industry. The Brewers Association said 2025 was the second straight year in which brewery closings outpaced openings nationally, with 268 openings and 434 closings. The group pointed to changing consumer behavior, inflation, tariff-related cost increases and more competition as major headwinds. For Wico Street, those pressures are now translating into empty hours on Wicomico Street, and soon, a shuttered taproom where Pigtown used to meet for beer, pizza and a few more rounds of something familiar.