USA, MI: St. Johns Brewing Co. up for sale
A restaurant and brewery in a 130-year-old former bank building in St. Johns’ downtown is for sale, the Lansing State Journal reported on June 13.
St. Johns Brewing Co. went on the market about a month ago, 3½ years after the business opened at 200 N. Clinton Ave. in December 2020.
The brewery is the first, but won't be the last, of Jim Holton's restaurants and breweries to be listed for sale. Holton, who also owns and operates businesses in Mount Pleasant and Alma, is retiring and plans to sell all of them eventually.
"I am starting to sell off all of my restaurants one at a time," Holton said, who plans to retire now that his son is graduating from high school and his wife is already retired.
The business is leasing the 4,000-square-foot space in the century-old building and Holton said the property's owner is open to signing a new lease with a buyer. The sale of the restaurant and brewery, listed for $199,000, comes with all equipment and an existing liquor license.
"I'd rather have it handed off to somebody locally down there," said Holton, who lives in Mount Pleasant. "It'd be great to have someone local own it and operate it just because St. Johns is such a tight-knit community. They're good people and someone local could be very, very successful with it."
St. Johns Brewing Co. employs 27 staff, a mix of full- and part-time positions. Holton said they all know he intends to sell the business.
"Any information that comes in, I'm keeping them up to date because I want them to stay, obviously," he said. He's hopeful the brewery's next owner will keep them on, but if not he said he'll offer them jobs at his other businesses, including Summit Smokehouse & Tap Room in Mount Pleasant, and Alma Brewing Co. in Alma.
"This is a long-term process for me," Holton said. He doesn't plan to close the St. Johns brewery, and plans to run it until it is sold.
"There's no danger of it closing," Holton said.
The "for sale" listing has generated interest, he said, but no offers yet. Whoever does buy the business will have access to beer brewing recipes and help with training, he said.
"I want whoever takes over to be successful with it as well, operate a great restaurant in a great community," Holton said.
According to the sale listing, the business "sees approximately 150 daily visitors."
"Step inside to discover a vibrant atmosphere where locally brewed drafts flow from 20 taps, including seven dedicated to hand-crafted signature brews," the listing says.
The business brews on-site. The current lease runs through part of 2024, Holton said.
"I want this to be successful," Holton said. "It's a great location for St. Johns downtown. It's a beautiful restaurant and I mean that to continue."
The space is already renovated to accommodate a brewery and restaurant," Holton said.
"This offers an opportunity for someone to come in and make their mark without having to get the mechanical contractors, install hoods, fire protection, all that stuff."
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