SLO Brew Rock will be sold to new owners. Here’s what it means for fans
SLO Brew Rock is up for sale and will soon be under new ownership, but there’s good news for fans: They shouldn’t be able to notice the change when it happens.
SLO Brew Rock co-owners Hamish Marshall and Rodney Celgelski told The Tribune on Tuesday that the two decided to sell the restaurant and concert venue so that they could focus of growing their adjacent whiskey business, Rod & Hammer’s, which they said has been growing by 25% yearly and is expected to expand into eight states in the coming year.
Marshall and Cegelski will still own the brewery and SLO Brew brand, which dates back to 1988 when the business was located on Garden Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.
But the event center and restaurant businesses will soon be owned and operated by a well-known restaurateur from the San Joaquin Valley.
The two said they cannot share the name of the new company until the sale officially closes in mid-December.
The venue currently has concerts booked out through the end of February, including the popular New Year’s Eve event on Dec. 31.
“We found ourselves getting very deluded in our focus on the restaurant and music venue and still focused on the distillery and Rod & Hammer’s that we didn’t have enough energy to divide up our time,” Cegelski said.
Mashall said that when you sell a business, you technically have to lay off all the employees, so he submitted a notice with the state that all 61 employees would be laid off effective Jan. 13.
But the new owners are expected to immediately rehire them.
“It’s meant to be very seamless,” Cegelski said of the sale, adding that customers should not be able to notice any significant changes. “We did not want to ruin the vibe of the Rock at all. ... We found a really good partner in this, and they love the brand, have been part of the brand for a long time.”
