All the bottles of beer have been taken down and passed around and there will be no more at Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando. No more free beer, anyway.
The hospitality centers in both theme parks, known for passing out samples of Anheuser-Busch’s adult beverages to guests of legal drinking age, will close at the end of January and will undergo renovations to convert the spaces to restaurants. Busch Gardens’ space will offer a cafe-style menu; SeaWorld will feature a full-service eatery. SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides could not confirm the new restaurant will be a smokehouse/barbecue concept.
Free beer has been a traditional perk of visiting one of the theme parks owned by the giant brewery. Beer will be available for purchase in both parks.
The conversion at Busch Gardens is expected to take less time than the Orlando park’s renovations, but Bides could not give an anticipated opening date.
Anheuser-Busch was sold last year to European brewer InBev. The company announced a workforce reduction in its U.S. beer-related companies last month. However, according to a statement issued by Busch Entertainment Corporation, the hospitality center workers affected by the closings will continue to be employed by the company.
