Local Brewpub and Taproom Suddenly Shuts Down Without Warning

A local restaurant has closed down without any warning.Photo byMarco BianchettionUnsplash

For years, the craft beer and distillery industries expanded rapidly. Drive a couple blocks in any direction and you could find something selling its own brews. For a short while it was like printing money. However, the industry expanded far too quickly, and eventually it oversaturated the market. The beverage section in any grocery store is now overflowing with products you’ve probably never heard of or tried before, and if you return a month later much of that is flipped for newer products. The business model has proven to be unsustainable and, due to this and various other economical reasons, the craft beer industry has started to contract around metro Phoenix. This trend continues as another restaurant and taproom has closed.

On August 20, Little O’s officially closed its 521 McDowell Road location. The brewpub did service this Phoenix community for the better part of four years, but the offshoot of O.H.S.O Brewery made the difficult decision to shut down.

As a popular destination for pet owners, it was a go-to spot for locals who wanted to grab a pint, nosh on some food, and enjoy time outside with their pup while socializing with friends. However, with rising costs and the saturated market, it’s simply no longer possible to sustain some of these locations any longer.

Just a few days ago, another brewpub in Tucson closed down unexpectedly. This trend will likely continue. After a market is saturated with a particular product it eventually leads to a leveling out. Due to this, more local taprooms and brewpubs will likely shut their doors as well in the coming months. However, time will tell.

For fans of Little O’s, there are still several remaining locations around the Valley, including one in Arcadia and Sunnyslope. There are also various spots for the main O.H.S.O brewery, so if you want to grab a pint of your favorite local craft beer you still can do that.

Unfortunately for locals of the recently closed location, there was next to no warning the closure was happening. In fact, the social media profiles were advertising its brunch on Sunday, and then come Tuesday the establishment was done for good. These decisions do not materialize out of thin air. Most local patrons would greatly appreciate some heads up on location closures, so at the very least they could stop by for a visit one final time and possibly say goodbye to favorite servers.

This is especially the case when there are remaining locations for a particular brand. It treats customers with little respect while hoping they are willing to migrate to a still-functioning establishment