Over the past year, California’s food and beverage manufacturing sector has faced a series of significant plant closures and production shutdowns, underscoring ongoing cost pressures, shifting demand, and industry restructuring across the state. From a cheese supplier for many of your favorite pizza brands to Coca-Cola, factories are shutting down in California at an alarming speed.
Coca-Cola bottling plant in Napa County
One of the more notable closures was announced last year by The Coca‑Cola Company, which confirmed it would shut down its beverage bottling facility in American Canyon, Napa County, by June 30, 2025. The plant, in operation since 1994 and responsible for producing popular drinks including Powerade and Minute Maid products, is being closed as part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and focus on brand management.
Del Monte Foods cannery closure
In early 2026, Del Monte Foods announced the shutdown of its historic fruit cannery in Modesto, Central California. The closure is tied to a court-supervised winding down of operations following Del Monte’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in July 2025.
The end of production at the facility marks the loss of approximately 600 year-round jobs, with an additional 1,200 seasonal roles at stake during peak harvest periods. The decision followed unsuccessful attempts to find a buyer willing to keep the cannery operating.
Mozzarella plant closure in Central Valley
Another significant shutdown involves Leprino Foods, the world’s largest mozzarella manufacturer, which announced it will close its Lemoore East dairy processing plant in early 2026. The closure is expected to result in hundreds of job losses. It is attributed to high operational costs in California and the opening of a new, more cost-efficient facility in Texas.
Frito-Lay facility in Rancho Cucamonga to close
Another major hit to California’s food manufacturing base is the planned closure of the Frito‑Lay facility and warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga. The site, a staple of the Inland Empire since 1970 and historically tied to the production of iconic snacks, will shut down completely by June 6, 2026, resulting in roughly 248 layoffs. Operations are being moved to a new distribution center elsewhere in the region, according to a formal layoff notice filed with San Bernardino County officials.
Craft brewery and other beverage sites
Smaller beverage producers have also faced challenges. 21st Amendment Brewery permanently shuttered both its San Leandro production facility and San Francisco brewpub in November 2025 after years of declining sales and rising competition in the craft beer market.
Additionally, major brewer Anheuser‑Busch confirmed plans to close its Budweiser brewery in Fairfield by early 2026 as part of a nationwide consolidation of facilities.
Broader impacts and industry trends
These closures reflect broader trends in California’s food and beverage sector, including high operating costs, evolving consumer preferences, and strategic shifts toward consolidation and efficiency. While some segments are investing in new facilities or expansions, the loss of longstanding plants reveals the challenges manufacturers face in maintaining large-scale operations in the Golden State.
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