A Long Awaited 16Lots Update – And It’s Good News!

3/6/24

Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome

It’s been a confusing couple of months for 16 Lots fans. When the brewery hit us with the horrible news back in January that it might be closing its doors, it certainly seemed like there was not much we could do as drinkers. The brewery’s owners (Mike and Del) asked their fans to support them by coming by the brewery, having a beer, and spreading the word to all their friends to do the same.

People showed up. In an update video, they shared that things were week by week (or maybe even day by day) to keep the doors open, but that they were working hard with their landlord and their bank, as well as some investors, to figure out a way to survive if they could get to the spring. March was the goal – and here we are.

They You Did It, 16 Lots Lives On

In a huge show of support, when Del and Mike called upon their friends, fans, and supporters – people showed up. The news was loud about their situation. People shared the posts on social media to make sure that everyone in their circle knew that 16 Lots needed help. It’s only because of that support that now, as we hit March, the brewery is letting folks know that they have forged a clear path forward and have survived to fight another day.

It’s a good picture of what community support can do when folks rally around a business (or around people) that they believe in, and I’m hoping that this is setting the stage for a long, successful future for 16 Lots.

The Grand Re-Opening

You might want to mark your calendar now for Friday, March 15th. The brewery will be celebrating starting at 11:30 a.m. that day, and it’s a perfect opportunity to swing by and grab a beer. There will be an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and a live band to kick things off the right way.

The day marks the start of getting things back to normal. They’ll have updated Spring hours, and food service will return alongside a revamped business model and marketing plan.

Don’t Think You Can Go On Like Normal

I hope that this shines a clear light on the fact that as the industry keeps changing if you’re a fan of places, you have to support them. I’m not just talking about 16 Lots, either. If there’s a brewery that you love (or a bar, or a restaurant—any business), you’ve got to put yourself out there to help them.

Tell your friends about places. Share stories on your social media feeds. Go out and spend your hard-earned money on places that you believe in. Every time you spend a dollar at a place that you don’t love, you’re not spending it at a place that you do—and you should feel that.

I don’t know the inner workings of most of our local breweries. I don’t know how “out of the woods” 16 Lots is, and I don’t know what breweries around are quietly suffering and might face closure in the near future, but I can promise that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for everyone.