The Charlotte Observer: “Can Sycamore Brewing brand survive co-founder’s arrest? Experts weigh in”

Photo Credit: Jeff Siner, The Charlotte Observer

I was privileged to be interviewed recently by The Charlotte Observer regarding crisis communications in the wake of a major scandal here in Charlotte, N.C. Here’s an excerpt of that story, edited for clarity.

Can Sycamore Brewing brand survive co-founder’s arrest? Experts weigh in

By Catherine Muccigrosso and Chase Jordan

December 22, 2025

Amid swift public backlash in the week following child rape charges against Sycamore Brewing’s co-founder, the Charlotte brewery faces an uncertain future: can the company survive, should it rebrand, or will it be forced to close?

The arrest of Justin Tawse Brigham sparked a fast and fierce backlash, and also rapidly evolved into a public relations crisis for one of Charlotte’s largest and most popular breweries. Grocery stores and bars across North Carolina dropped Sycamore products. And the list is growing.

Meanwhile, the Sycamore taproom and restaurant at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is closing, leaving just one location open, at South End. 

“They really are floundering in a hopeless situation for the brand,” said Peter LaMotte, strategic communications president at Charlotte public relations and branding agency Chernoff Newman. 

The local economic impact will probably be too much for the brand to survive, he added. Brigham, 44, was arrested Dec. 11 on charges of statutory rape involving a 13-year-old girl in Stanly County. He now faces more than a dozen felony charges. 

“The horrific nature of the crimes will make it near impossible for the Sycamore brand to survive,” LaMotte said. “This is more Harvey Weinstein than Martha Stewart.” 

Barry Finkelstein, principal of Truth Advisors communications consultant agency in Charlotte, used Weinstein as an example of how Sycamore could survive. Studios he was associated with endured and not every business he associated with got drawn into his scandals. 

“I think companies can survive these kinds of situations, but there are certain steps you have to take,” Finkelstein said. And, one of those first steps is to distance the company from the individual. 

“I do think it can be overcome, but you’ve got to act decisively and with empathy and understanding,” he said.

Sycamore tries to distance itself from Brigham 

The same day Brigham was arrested, his wife and Sycamore co-founder and co-owner Sarah Taylor posted a statement on the brewery’s social media sites saying Brigham had divested all of his interest in the business. 

“I am devastated by the charges against Justin and the pain this has inflicted on our family and others. Effective immediately, I am assuming full leadership of the company,” Taylor wrote.

That initial post was removed on Saturday, Dec. 13, when Sycamore Brewing released a lengthier three-page statement, calling the charges “horrifying” and “despicable.” The company said it is “heartbroken for the victim” and acknowledged the community’s anger. The company stated it would not assist in Brigham’s defense and hopes the legal system holds him accountable. 

The brewery’s statement also focused on the staff, “innocent people whose livelihoods depend on Sycamore,” who are working amid the uncertainty. 

“We will get through this, and this family has each others’ backs,” Sycamore’s statement said. 

And the latest statement addressed Taylor’s post, saying it “came from a devastated wife and a mother trying to make sense of something unthinkable,” and that Taylor is now focusing on her duties to a “shattered household and a shattered community.”

LaMotte, who has 10 years of crisis work experience, critiqued the company’s response as flawed. 

“No PR move, no apology letter, no rebrand will really remove the association of Sycamore” with Brigham’s alleged actions, he said. “When founders are so closely associated with a brand, a crisis of this nature that’s so shocking as this, it makes any repositioning while maintaining that brand near impossible.” 

Responding immediately also was a mistake, LaMotte and Finkelstein said. The first response from Taylor was “reactionary and not well-thought-out,” LaMotte said. 

Finkelstein said the company, not Taylor, should have responded publicly. But the first crucial step is protecting key relationships. He would have advised reaching out to important stakeholders like distributors and bar owners on a one-on-one basis before making public statements. 

Sycamore needs clear break from Brigham, PR experts say

By Monday, Dec. 15, days after the arrest, Sycamore Brewing filed an amended business report with the N.C. Secretary of State showing Taylor as the only managing member. The previous report in April showed Sarah Taylor and Justin Brigham as managing members. 

James Donnelly, executive vice president for New York City-based digital PR agency M Booth, would not talk about Sycamore’s crisis specifically but said there are lessons to be learned. 

‘It starts with building operational separation, then the brand separation,” said Donnelly, who has worked remotely in Charlotte for about 20 years. “If you keep the brand and everything that the brand stood for, you’ve got to make a huge pivot and stand for something bigger.”