The Brewer’s Art has filed for bankruptcy, citing at least $1.9 million in debts, including back rent, taxes, wages and multiple lines of credit.

The beloved Mount Vernon brewpub, an anchor of the Charles Street corridor, closed abruptly this month to the surprise of employees, who said they were not aware of the business’s financial struggles.

The brewpub, operating under the name Old Line Brewers LLC, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court on Friday, as first reported by the Baltimore Business Journal. Under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a business’s assets are liquidated, and the proceeds are used to provide partial restitution to creditors.

Neither owner Volker Stewart nor his attorney, Constance M. Hare, immediately responded to a request for comment Wednesday.

The bankruptcy filing hints at the financial stress that Stewart, who founded The Brewer’s Art 30 years ago, has faced in recent years. Stewart loaned the business $632,000 and did not take wages over the past two years, a loss of more than $160,000, according to the documents.

The brewpub owes $199,000 to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a loan taken during the height of the COVID pandemic in April 2020, according to the filings.

The Brewer’s Art owes more than $101,000 to M&T Bank, $85,500 in state taxes, and nearly $78,000 in unpaid rent and utilities to landlord BendixHQ LLC, according to court records. Additional liabilities include unpaid wages, brewing supplies and several other lines of credit, according to the records.

The brewpub’s assets are worth about $107,000 and include $75,000 of brewing equipment and kitchen appliances; $4,500 of untapped kegs of beer and $1,250 of hops, according to the filing.

A public meeting of creditors is scheduled for March 25.

Banner reporter Dylan Segelbaum contributed to this report.