Proximity Brewing closed its East Durham taproom at 491 S. Driver St. on March 26, less than three years after opening. The brewery cited high operating costs and described the closure as a reset rather than a permanent end.
- Proximity was founded by Mike Potter, co-creator of Blacktoberfest, a Durham festival celebrating Black craft beer culture. The brewery opened in December 2023 as part of a cluster of Black-owned food and drink businesses along Driver Street, alongside Congress Social Bar.
- The brewery says it will continue brewing and maintain its wholesale partnerships while reworking its business model. A return in a new location remains possible, according to a post on the brewery's social media.
- The Driver Street corridor has shifted since Proximity opened. Mike D's BBQ, which operated nearby, has since closed and been replaced by Dame's Chicken and Waffles.
Proximity's closure is part of a broader contraction across Triangle taprooms. Flying Bull Beer Company shuttered its original Ninth Street location in late February, though it still operates on Morris Street. Vicious Fishes, Cotton House Craft Brewers, and Havoc Brewing have all closed locations across the region in the past year.
Whether Proximity finds a new home depends on what the reworked business model looks like and whether wholesale revenue can carry the brand in the meantime.