News today that at the end of this month Lompoc Brewing is ceasing operations and closing up shop. The venerable Portland brewery opened in 1996. Over its 23-year lifespan, Lompoc opened multiple locations but has been retracting in recent years.
In a report on The New School the owner of Lompoc Brewing, Jerry Fechter, said, “We’ve been pretty slow, and to be quite honest, Lompoc needs a rebrand, a refresh, and at this time I just don’t have the resources to do that. I am basically just leaving the space for the landlords.”
Bryan Kielty, brewmaster at the award-winning brewery, already has plans resurface at another local brewery, according to the report on The New School.
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Fechter also owns and operates Oaks Bottom Public House in Portland. That business is not impacted by the closure of Lompoc Brewing.
For a complete report, I encourage you to read the story on The New School.
Here is the company’s announcement from Facebook:
It is with great sadness that we announce that Lompoc Brewing is closing up shop after 23 years in business. The closure includes the brewery and its two pubs on North Williams Avenue: 5th Quadrant and Sidebar. The final day of business will be Tuesday, Oct. 29. That means this weekend is the last weekend, next Monday is the last Wing Night, and next Tuesday is the last Tightwad Tuesday. It truly is The Last Waltz with Lompoc Brewing.
Oaks Bottom Public House on SE Bybee Blvd. will continue to operate as its own entity, and will continue to be owned and run by Lompoc founder Jerry Fechter; Oaks Bottom will serve and sell all the remaining Lompoc beer, while it lasts. For now, Jerry plans on focusing on making Oaks Bottom the best neighborhood pub it can be.
Our Brewmaster Bryan Keilty has moved on to another brewery, and we wish him the very best; look for amazing things to come from him in the near future. We will be offering a severance package to our remaining employees, and will try to absorb as many as we can at Oaks Bottom.
Jerry will hold a final “garage sale” next Saturday, Nov. 2 at Sidebar (3901 N Williams Ave.) from Noon to 5pm to sell off vintage Lompoc bottles, merchandise, glassware, and more.
Established in 1996, Lompoc Brewing is part of the old-guard of craft breweries, and has been a longtime Portland favorite. We want to thank everyone for their support over the past 23 years. To quote another Jerry, “What a long strange trip it’s been!” Cheers and Thank You!
