Canada, BC: Kelowna Brewing Company ceases operations after five years in business

Another Kelowna brewery is throwing in the towel, Castanet reported on December 23.

Kelowna Brewing Company, located at 975 Academy Way near UBC Okanagan, has quietly shut its doors, just over five years after it opened in June 2019.

The closure came as a surprise to one regular who posted on a Kelowna rant and rave Facebook group: “Rant to Kelowna Brewing Company closing for business with zero notice. I would have gone today if I had known,” she wrote.

Rising costs and changing consumer habits have taken a toll on the dining industry this year.

A staff member who happened to be outside Kelowna Brewing Company when Castanet stopped by Sunday said their input costs had risen significantly, noting that grain prices have skyrocketed.

Earlier this month, Vice and Virtue Brewing Co. on Richter Street announced that it too was closing.

"We are deeply grateful to our patrons, our industry colleagues, and our neighbouring businesses for the support," Vice and Virtue said in a social media post earlier this month.

"We also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible staff, past and present, whose dedication, passion, and hard work helped shape Vice and Virtue. Thank you, sincerely, for being the heart and soul of our business."

Instead of sitting empty though, the space is being taken over by neighbouring business Red Bird Brewing Inc. As of Jan. 1, 2025, Vice & Virtue will be closed for renovations and is set to reopen in the spring as Red Bird Roasting Lab.

“In the lab, we’ll be roasting coffee and offering tastings that take you through various ways to enjoy our coffee at home," announced Red Bird owners Perry Maxfield, Adam Semeniuk, Peter Glockner and Powell Maxfield in a news release.

A handful of other high-profile restaurants have closed and relocated this year after a drop in tourism traffic to the Central Okanagan.

Whether someone will step forward to buy the space being vacated by Kelowna Brewing Company is unknown at this point. The large premises includes an expansive patio with a panoramic view of Kelowna.

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