SLO County brewery searches for new spot after lease negotiations end: ‘It was a shock’
The owners of Cambria’s 927 Beer Company will be forced to close their taproom by the end of July, unless they’re able to find a new location in time.
The 10-year lease on the small-batch brewery’s taproom at 821 Cornwall St. has expired.
927 Beer Company owners Aaron and Jennifer Wharton hoped to finalize a new contract in late April, but the property’s new owners — a partnership that also owns Cambria Mimosas and La Terrazza Mexican Restaurant — have ended negotiations.
Property co-owner Miguel Sandoval declined to comment about that decision on May 11., Sandoval said that he and his are remodeling and upgrading the structure and haven’t finalized their plans for it yet.
Since the Whartons’ negotiations with the new owners fell through, Aaron Wharton has taken to social media to search for a new space in which to set up shop. He hopes that will happen in time to salvage their summer beer sales.
“We are working on some options and ... are very optimistic that it will work out for us in the long run,” Wharton posted on May 12.
“The heart of the 927 Beer Company and taproom was always about community ... a community that was built by all our customers,” he added. “We are working diligently to find a location so we can all gather and enjoy what we have built.”
927 Beer Company will continue to operate near 852 Main St.
If the Whartons haven’t found a new taproom location by the time the eviction notice takes effect July 31, Aaron Wharton said, they can sell beer by the bottle or case from that location.
But the Whartons won’t be able to serve their small-batch brews by the glass there amid casual, community pub atmosphere
The Whartons’ business has experienced gone upheaval before.
On New Year’s Eve 2014, the Whartons were notified by an attorney that they’d have to change the name of their brewery, then called Cambria Beer. The lawyer said Kendall-Jackson Estate Winery and Cambria Estate Winery in Santa Maria had trademarked the combination of “Cambria” and the implication of alcohol.
The Whartons could either change their brewery’s name or be sued for copyright infringement — a legal battle that they decided would have been way too costly for their business.
Negotians for a new lease for their taproom location also proved challenging.
Aaron Wharton said by phone Thursday, May 12, that they were expecting a rent increase of more than twice what they’d been paying. “It was a shock, but we were confident we could absorb that big a hit,” he said.
“We’d agreed to everything, including the rent increase,” Wharton said, in part because the new lease gave the Whartons’ he ability to make changes to the building’s interior, enlarge the patio and granted them full use of the entire parking lot.
Then the negotiations fell through. Now the Whartons are seeking a new taproom location on deadline.
In a May 19 Facebook post, Aaron Wharton remained upbeat about the brewery’s future and its latest offering — a West Coast-style India Pale Ale with orange and tangerine flavors.
It’s their “first brew since our location has been up in the air,” he wrote. “It feels good to shake the dust off and get back at it. We are confident that we will land somewhere even better! Thanks for the support shown to us. It means a lot. We are working hard for you guys.”
