Jersey Cyclone Brewing Company Closes Permanently After Six Years in Franklin Township

Jersey Cyclone Brewing Company, the storm-themed brewery founded and run by longtime homebrewers Jan Chwiedosiuk of Stirling and Brian Teel of Belle Mead, closed permanently after six years at 14 Worlds Fair Drive in Franklin Township. The brewery posted its announcement on Facebook on Feb. 20 and invited customers to visit during its final Sunday of operation on Feb. 22.

In their Facebook post, owners framed the decision as deliberate and grateful. “After much thought and reflection, we have some sad news to share with our Jersey Cyclone Brewing family,” the post read, continuing, “After six incredible years, we have decided to close the doors of Jersey Cyclone Brewing.” The post emphasized community: “This brewery has always been about more than just beer - it’s been about community, conversations over pints, laughter, celebrations, and the incredible support of every single person who walked through our doors, shared a post, brought a friend, or made Jersey Cyclone part of their routine. Each one of these is a memory that we will never forget. We are endlessly grateful for the love, loyalty, and encouragement you’ve shown us over the years.”

The owners noted an ironic bookend to the business. “Over six years ago, we opened our doors for the first time in a rainstorm, and last night, we closed them for the final time in a bomb cyclone. Oh the irony!” the Facebook post said; one local report described the Feb. 22 weather as a “monster blizzard.”

Chwiedosiuk and Teel trace their brewery roots to homebrewing that began in 2011 following Hurricane Irene, when flooding affected Chwiedosiuk’s family’s European Deli in Manville and disruptions hit Teel’s backyard. The pair turned that hobby into a commercial venture when they opened Jersey Cyclone in May 2019 at 14 Worlds Fair Dr., Unit J in Somerset, operating a storm-themed taproom for six years.

Jersey Cyclone built a reputation on weekly rotating releases and a weather-forward identity. Menu highlights reported by local outlets included brown ales, imperial stouts, porters, and IPAs, with named offerings such as BBA Deformation Zone imperial stout, Cloud City American lager, Tailwind Belgian pale ale, and a blueberry cinnamon sour ale among the taproom’s regular features.

Coverage of the shutdown varied in tone; one outlet described the closure as having “closed abruptly last weekend,” while the brewery’s Facebook message insisted the decision followed thoughtful reflection. The business occupied a site just off I-287 and Easton Avenue in Franklin Township, Somerset County, and the owners did not provide additional operational or financial details in their announcement.

With the taproom now shuttered and no public statements about staff plans, asset disposition, or gift cards, Chwiedosiuk and Teel closed the chapter they began as friends and homebrewers in the wake of Hurricane Irene and took public leave with gratitude for the community that supported Jersey Cyclone during its six-year run.