SLO brewery abruptly closes its downtown taproom. ‘Thanks for the memories’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Antigua Brewing closed its downtown SLO taproom without formal explanation.
- Despite closure, Antigua beer remains available at multiple SLO County venues.
- Owners listed their 10-acre Hacienda Antigua estate for $4.9M in June 2025.
Antigua Brewing Company in downtown San Luis Obispo suddenly closed its taproom doors last month — with little information on what exactly led to the decision.
On Thursday, a sign posted in the window of the restaurant at 1009 Monterey St. said the business was closed and thanked customers “for the memories.”
“Don’t worry, you can still find our delicious beer at your favorite spots throughout SLO County!” the sign said.
The business did not have any mention of the shuttered storefront on its website or social media beyond Instagram, where its bio read only “CLOSED,” as of Thursday.
Though the business’s exact closure date is unclear, dismayed fans took to social media as early as Aug. 31 to talk about the closure.
“Sooooo sorry to see Antigua Brewery close its doors,” one person wrote on Nextdoor.
Requests for comment from Antigua ownership on the closure were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
Downtown SLO brewery offered beers from locally grown hops
Antigua Brewing opened its downtown taproom — located near Fremont Theater between Shin’s Sushi and what was then Mo’s Smokehouse BBQ — in December 2021.
At the time, co-owner Bambi Banys told The Tribune that she and husband Chris Banys had been homebrewing for years and “always dreamed of having a brewery.”
“When we were looking for spaces, we really did want to be downtown,” she said at the time. “There is still a vibrant downtown. People are still drawn to local shopping and local vendors.”
The business prided itself on brewing beers from its own locally grown hops, marking a “unique take on making beer,” Chris Banys said at the time.
Its beers are on pour at a number of local restaurants and public hangouts, including the Downtown Centre Cinemas movie theater in San Luis Obispo, Old SLO BBQ, Sunset at Pismo and Locals Taproom, according to the brewery tracking app UnTappd.
Though it was unclear why the couple closed the business, the Banyses in June also placed their 10-acre luxury SLO County estate — known as Hacienda Antigua — on the market for $4.9 million, according to The Sacramento Bee.
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