Night Shift Brewery has been synonymous with the resurgence of Everett as a place to be, but their dream to expand to Philadelphia as a second home has been cancelled due to the COVID-19-related downturn in the economy.

Founders of the brewery, who hailed from Philadelphia, eagerly announced the expansion late last year, and said it would help them to spread their brand – building up Philly operations while also bolstering their foothold in Everett and Greater Boston.

With COVID-19 shaking the business’s foundation, founders announced they had to cancel their dream.

“It is with great personal sadness that we at Night Shift Brewing have made the incredibly hard decision to cancel our Philly expansion project,” read a note from the founders. “It wasn’t meant to be. The COVID-19 pandemic shook our business to the core, and obviously almost everything outside of it. In short – we hope to be back at this sooner than later. Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way.”

The expansion had been in the works for three years, and the founders told the Independent last year they simply couldn’t find an appropriate space in the Philly area.

Finally, last year, they announced the signing of a lease agreement for a massive space in Roxborough, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. The initial excitement was huge, they said, and they were working to open as soon as possible.

Then COVID-19 hit, and the core of the business needed to stay intact. The hope, they said, is to pick up the plan later when, and if, the economy returns to the strength it had prior to the pandemic.