This is the Green Olive Grill located in Boiling Springs. This is a Sicilian Sunset -- made with Tito's Handmade Vodka, grapefruit juice, orange juice, agave and grenadine. Shj Green Olive Grill Inman04
San Francisco, California – Republic National Distributing Co., the country’s second-largest alcohol wholesaler, is pulling out of California and taking 1,756 jobs with it.
The Texas-based company announced in June that it would end its operations in the state by September 2. That decision became more tangible this week as the company filed Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notices (WARN) with California authorities, outlining mass layoffs across eight locations, from San Diego to Sacramento. The move affects a wide range of employees, from warehouse drivers to vice presidents, and includes both union and non-union roles.
The job losses are staggering in scale: 640 in Tustin, 238 in San Bernardino, 226 in Pleasanton, and hundreds more in cities including Hayward, Los Angeles, and Morgan Hill. For many of these workers, some of whom have spent years in a steady industry, the layoffs came without a clear path forward. The WARN notices offer little more than confirmation that the jobs will be gone by early September.
The company has cited “rising operational costs, industry headwinds, and supplier changes” as reasons for the abrupt exit. In less sanitized terms, the business has been bleeding brands. Over the last several months, Republic National lost distribution rights to Tito’s Handmade Vodka, High Noon hard seltzers, Jack Daniel’s, and Cutwater Spirits—some of the biggest names in the alcohol business. Most of these brands have since landed with Reyes Beverage Group, a competitor historically focused on beer.
The exits have proven to be a cascading blow. When the suppliers left, so did the stability of Republic’s California presence. For employees, many of whom worked in regional sales, logistics, and business operations, it wasn’t just a contract loss—it was the floor falling out.
This isn’t just a corporate restructuring. It’s a significant upheaval for hundreds of California families—some of whom have spent their careers inside warehouses and on delivery routes that, until now, seemed like safe, if invisible, parts of the state’s economic machinery.
While Republic National looks to strengthen its foothold in other regions—just last week it announced an expansion of its partnership with Silver Oak winery in New York and Pennsylvania—California will be left behind. No plan for retaining displaced workers or offering local transition support has been made public.
The company has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
In an era when tech layoffs dominate headlines, the unraveling of a cornerstone alcohol distributor is a stark reminder that disruption doesn’t spare legacy industries—and that when companies pivot, workers are often left standing still.
