Jacksonville’s Intuition Ale Works to close its doors, but hope remains for neighboring businesses

Intuition Ale Works will close permanently due to rising costs and industry challenges. However, neighboring businesses remain hopeful for upcoming downtown changes.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For decades, businesses in downtown Jacksonville have endured slow seasons, economic setbacks and repeated promises of revitalization. This week, one of the area’s longtime staples announced it will close its doors for good.

Intuition Ale Works, a craft brewery that has operated downtown since 2016, announced it will permanently close on April 24. The decision comes after months of attempting to sell the business amid rising costs and shifting consumer habits in the craft beer industry.

Just next door, leaders at Manifest Distilling say the closure is difficult to watch, but they remain hopeful about downtown’s future.

David Cohen, co-founder of Manifest Distilling, opened his business on East Forsyth Street a decade ago and has watched downtown change and struggle over the years.

“We survived those 10 years of being here, of seeing those seasonal elements, of going through pandemics, of being shut down because of the fire across the street,” Cohen said. “So we’ve kind of survived through all that.”

Manifest has adapted over time, expanding from a tasting room to retail distribution and opening its doors to football fans on Jacksonville Jaguars game days. Cohen said Sundays, especially during popular matchups, are among the distillery’s busiest days.

But Intuition Ale Works, located just steps away, announced this week that it plans to permanently close after nine months of searching for a buyer.

Founder Ben Davis said it’s due to rising costs and industry challenges in a social media post announcing the decision.

“The craft beer industry has changed dramatically since COVID,” Davis wrote. “Costs are higher, margins are thinner, and competition is relentless.”

Davis also said he believed in the long-term potential of downtown Jacksonville, but acknowledged that optimism alone was not enough to sustain the business.

“Renderings and potential do not pay the bills,” he wrote.

For Cohen, the loss is deeply personal. Manifest and Intuition opened around the same time and grew alongside each other for nearly a decade.

“We’re devastated to see them go,” Cohen said. “We built out this space at the exact same time with them. They’ve been here through thick and thin with us for 10 years.”

As Intuition prepares to close, major redevelopment projects are still on the horizon for downtown Jacksonville, including the Gateway Jax project, a new Four Seasons hotel and the Jaguars’ $1.4 billion “Stadium of the Future” renovations.

City leaders hope those projects will bring increased foot traffic and new opportunities for businesses that have weathered years of uncertainty.

“We’re excited,” Cohen said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Gateway Jax is expected to open in 2028. The new Four Seasons hotel is slated to open in 2027, and stadium renovations are projected to be completed in 2028.