Lompoc Brewing closing its original pub to focus on other locations

Marking the end of an era, Portland, Ore.’s Lompoc Brewing announced the upcoming closure of Lompoc Tavern, its original pub at 1620 NW 23rd Ave. Lompoc Tavern’s 15 employees have all been informed of the impending closure and many of the employees will interview for positions with Tap & Table, the gastro pub that will be leasing the space. Lompoc is also working to find positions for staff at its remaining pubs, the 5th Quadrant, Oaks Bottom and Sidebar. The final day will be Sept. 26.

“The time has come for us to move on,” explained owner Jerry Fechter. “We’re embracing this as an opportunity to invest more time and attention on the remaining pubs and brewery and making them the best that they can be.”

The Old Lompoc Tavern opened in 1993 and began producing handcrafted ales and lagers in 1996 under the direction of Fechter. The business was purchased by Fechter and Don Younger in May 2000 and renamed the New Old Lompoc. In 2012, the building was sold and razed, making way for a multi-use building with retail on the first floor and apartment units above. The new building opened one year later with a new address of 1620 NW 23rd Ave., and Lompoc Brewing re-established its ties to the neighborhood.

However, in the year Lompoc was closed, its late-night crowd found other places to go, and never returned. Over the last couple of years, it lost many of its regulars as well when a number of jobs moved out of the neighborhood.

“Running three individual pubs in three separate parts of our growing city has been a wonderful challenge,” stated Fechter. “We’ve enjoyed serving Portland’s distinct neighborhoods, but we feel we can do more with less.”