Lamplighter Brewing Co. on Broadway in Cambridge.
A sampling of Lamplighter IPAs.
Last week, Lamplighter Brewing Co., a Cambridge-based brewery with locations in Cambridge Crossing and The Port, announced plans to transition to an employee ownership model allowing current employees to share ownership of the company, affording workers shared profits and more participation in decision making.
This new structure would apply to both Lamplighter and Pepita, its coffee shop concept that is housed in the brewery space.
“From the beginning, Lamplighter has been about more than beer,” said cofounder Cayla Marvil. “It has been about creating spaces where people feel welcome, building a company that reflects community values and investing in the team that makes all of this possible. Employee ownership gives us a way to protect what people love about Lamplighter and Pepita, while building a stronger and more inclusive future for the business.”
This new business structure, known as an Employee Ownership Trust, is subject to licensing approvals from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission and the City of Cambridge. There may be other hurdles in accomplishing this transition as well.
The Boston Globe reported after the announcement that United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445, which represents Lamplighter employees, was not consulted on this change. Lamplighter in turn released a statement that these plans would not impact the current union setup.
“This proposed transition is about continuity, not disruption,” said Canaan Khoury, director of operations at Lamplighter. “The same team would continue running the business, serving our guests, brewing our beer, pouring coffee and showing up for our community. The goal is to build a structure that more deeply reflects the role employees play in Lamplighter’s success.”
There are other breweries in the Boston area where employees have access to stock and ownership opportunities, like Democracy Brewing in Downtown Crossing and Harpoon Brewery in the Seaport. But formal Employee Ownership Trust agreements are unusual and operating that way with a union in place also is rare.
Still, the Lamplighter team maintains this will be a positive change despite the intricacies that still need to be settled.
“We’re incredibly proud to be taking this step,” Marvil said. “Lamplighter and Pepita have grown and flourished for the last 10 years because of the amazing team of people behind them — brewers, bartenders, baristas, sales, kitchen, marketing, events, operations and leadership. This transition would allow Lamplighter to remain independent and continue growing in a way that supports the people who make this business what it is.”
ON THE WEB
Learn more at lamplighterbrewing.com