AOL moves; Dominion boo-hoos

AOL is moving its headquarters from Loudoun County in northern Virginia to its Time-Warner digs in New York City. Some local observers feel this bodes poorly for the tech corridor in the Dulles Airport area. Tangential businesses might be affected:

One Loudoun business that caters to AOL employees said it had reason to worry. "That's going to kill the area," said Doug Hisel, manager of Old Dominion Brew Pub in Ashburn, a hangout for techies and government contractors.

Insiders Debate Effect of AOL Headquarters Move
Washington Post, 18 September 2007, p.D4

It's the AOL gray suits who are leaving, not the 4,000 lower-level but well-remunerated employees, many of whom drink beer.

And injury to the brewpub itself?

Do you think maybe a decrease in business might have something to do with Anheuser-Busch purchasing 49% of Dominion Brewing (now renamed Coastal)?

Do you think it might have anything to do with the customer relations snafus and snarliness that marred the first months of the pub's new ownership?

Do you think it might have anything to do with the elimination of cask ale and bourbon stout at the pub, accompanied by the introduction of Bud and Bud Light, etc. products ... into a brewpub for gawds sake?

No, no ... it couldn't be that. Could it?

Some industry observers believe that Coastal/Anheuser-Busch's plan is to shut down the Ashburn, Virginia facility and move all operations to the Delaware plant or elsewhere. Today's news gives the brewery yet another pretext for doing so.

• With a posting like this, it's good to reiterate that I am employed by Clipper City Brewing Company, a competitor to Coastal Brewing. My opinions are my own, and not the postions of the management of Clipper City.