Funky Picnic closing brewpub in Fort Worth

A pour of Funny Accent, a spot-on ESB offered by Funky Picnic ( © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Fort Worth will be a little less funky come the end of the month, as Funky Picnic Brewery & Café has announced it will close after nearly 5 years in business.

Founded by Samantha Glenn, Collin Zreet, Jenni Hanley and John Koch, Funky Picnic opened in June 2019. This, after the team spent a number of years building its brand by way of local homebrew competitions.

In terms of approach, Funky Picnic took the idea of being a true brewpub to heart, with its beer and food offerings getting equal billing. Everyday pairings were further enhanced by the fact that the business was the only one of its kind in the area with an Advanced Cicerone on staff (Zreet). And, while beer recipes were ever-rotating in line with consumer expectations, one could always count on a reliable pour in the form of Funny Accent, a spot-on stylistic ESB.

According to a social media post, difficulties with rising costs and other economic factors influenced the decision to close.

"Over the past year and a half...we have seen rising operating and material costs from inflation while consumer habits have shrunk back on their spending due to the current economy, leading us to sales now lower than what we saw in both 2023 and 2022. We have put everything we have (money, emotions, time) into keeping these doors open, but it no longer makes viable sense."

Funky Picnic will remain open until its final service on Saturday, April 27.