SUDDEN SHUTTERS

Mad Pecker Brewing to close again after brief San Antonio comeback

Mad Pecker Brewing Co., San Antonio, craft beer

Mad Pecker Brewing Co. is closing for the second time this year.

Photo courtesy of Mad Pecker Brewing Co.

After a surprise revival gave San Antonio beer fans a glimmer of hope, Mad Pecker Brewing Co. is once again closing its doors. In a collaborative post with popular creator As Seen in SA, the Northwest Side brewpub says it will permanently shutter on December 20.

The closure marks a tumultuous year for founders Jason and Erika Gonzales. The brewery first closed on March 31, right as it was celebrating its 10th anniversary. Days later, on May 12, Mad Pecker announced a comeback that the owners said was made possible by an outpouring of community support.

"The memories that it holds for so many of you provided [us] with even greater motivation to reopen Mad Pecker to restore all of its glory back to the community," the owners said via Facebook.

At the time, the owners said they were making some improvements to the taproom. The core beer offerings, the food menu, and community programming like trivia nights remained largely the same — as did the economic headwinds of San Antonio’s craft beer market.

At the tail-end of 2024, the Gonzaleses pleaded for the community's help in saving the brewpub from closure, citing dwindling crowds, rising business costs, and changing beer drinkers' habits. Since then, they’ve remained mum on finances, but the outlook for the industry has not brightened.

In 2025, area breweries Vista Brewing, Künstler Tap Haus, Faust Brewing, and Freetail Brewing’s Southtown taproom ceased operations following the 2024 loss of Man Overboard Brewing Co., Second Pitch Beer Co., and Weathered Souls Brewing Co. Alamo Beer Co. was recently bought out by an Australian firm after filing for bankruptcy.

Mad Pecker did not immediately return a request for more information. We will update this article if it makes an official statement.

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Legendary Hill Country dance hall hits market for $669K

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Kendalia Halle can be yours for $669,000.

Wondering what to do with your Christmas bonus? Storied Hill Country dance hall Kendalia Halle is now up for sale for $669,000, offering San Antonians the chance to own one of "Ambassador of Texas Music” Gary P. Nunn’s favorite stages.

Kendalia Halle abruptly shuttered in August 2024, saying it was “suspending operations for the immediate future” and cancelling its upcoming shows. Built in 1903, the spot was the social lifeblood of the tiny unincorporated town near Boerne, serving its German immigrant community for generations.

The historical property first went on sale in May for $550,000. Since then, the Schwab Ranch Investments listing has gone up by almost $120,000.The listing includes three buildings: the main dance hall, a small 825-square-foot cottage, and the Elbel Building, a historical storefront that has housed several local businesses since 1911.

According to Schwab, the building has seen a few renovations over the last 30 years — mostly structural. The hall was straightened by pulleys, and the building’s foundation was reinforced with concrete and steel. New insulation was added to help with cooling, and the wood paneling was installed in the interior.

The 3,500-square-foot hall also sports a large bar, a VIP area, and a roomy dance floor. The basement of the Elbel Building was also once used as a bar called the Rathskellar (German for “cellar”) and features a kitchen.

The 2000s have seen a number of historic dance halls close in rural Texas communities, even as sites like Gruene Hall have attracted a new generation of tourist. In August, the 120-year-old Coupland Dancehall near Austin was saved by a last-minute Hail Mary. Others like Uhland's Club 21, shuttered in 2010, are now historical footnotes.

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