Intuition Ale Works owner Ben Davis’ decision to sell the business comes from a place of accomplishment, company Chief Operating Officer Brad Lange said April 25.
Davis, 51, announced on social media April 25 that the brewery, restaurant and music hall are for sale.
Davis said his intention is to sell the 15-year-old business to a like-minded person or group who wants to continue the business as a true craft brewery, Lange said.
Lange is the company spokesperson concerning the planned sale.
“I think after 15 years of giving everything he had, he kind of just reached a point where I think in the last month or so he was reflecting and he thought he had taken it as far as he could,” Lange said.
“But he obviously loves the business and everything that we’ve built, and he has no intention of it going away. So he made the decision put it up for sale and take the time to find the right buyer who can come in and embrace the same culture that he built.”
The company has about 40 employees. Many have stated they would like to continue working at Intuition, Lange said.
“We have a staff of 40 or so folks with really low turnover. The group has been with us for a really long time and has a lot of pride. That’s obviously attractive to somebody who would be looking to buy the business and have a team that’s ready to go,” Lange said
Davis intends to keep Intuition open and running per usual during the sale process.
Intuition was the first craft brewery in Florida to can and distribute its product throughout the state. During the coronavirus pandemic, that business model was scaled back. Today, the canned and kegged product is sold mostly in Northeast Florida, Lange said.
“We pulled out of a lot of Florida markets. It was just sort of logistically challenging and expensive and not really worth the effort to ship beer around the state at a time when so many bars and restaurants were closed,” Lange said.
“With all the challenges at that time, it was really financially tough to distribute outside of Jacksonville.”
The Jacksonville base of customers has remained steady throughout, he added.
Davis leases the space in the former Noland building at 929 E. Bay St. in the Downtown Sport Complex near VyStar Ballpark and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. He is selling the restaurant and brewery equipment. The idea is for the new owner to be able to take over the business as-is.
Lange declined to discuss sales and production numbers. He did not know Davis’ target sale price.
While it is up to Davis to make the final decision on a buyer, Lange suspects Intuition will be sold to a smaller craft brewery group rather than a national or international brand.
“In 2025, I think the person or persons that would be interested would have a much smaller profile than any kind of a multinational brewery,” Lange said.
“I think that moment has passed where the big guys are in acquisition mode. That’s kind of rare to see that these days. I think it’d be more realistic to have a different kind of buyer step forward.”
Lange said there is no rush to find a buyer.
“He’s not desperate to unload it. It’s not a fire sale or anything like that. He wants to take his time. You know, vet buyers and really get to know the people who are interested and see what their vision is for the future. I don’t think he can put a timetable on that.”
Once the sale is completed, Lange admitted he didn’t know what Davis’ next move would be.
“Ben has never been the kind of person to sit around. He’s always innovative. He’s always thinking about Jacksonville and thinking about doing something that the community can enjoy and be proud of. So I don’t know what he’ll do next. I don’t know if he’ll take a little bit of time off, but I can’t imagine him sitting around quietly for too long.”