Grand Junction closes original brew pub in downtown Westfield

Grand Junction Brewing Co. has closed its original brew pub in downtown Westfield, nearly six years after it opened.

The company, founded by Jon Knight and Charlie Wood, said its tap room and production facility, which opened two-plus years ago about a mile away from the brew pub, will remain open.

Company owners closed the brew pub at 110 S. Union St. on Sunday and made the announcement on Facebook that night.

“Grand Junction Brewing Co. got its humble start almost 6 years ago in downtown Westfield,” the post states. “We wanted to help provide a spark to downtown Westfield’s rebirth, and we like to think we played a small part in doing so. … It’s a bittersweet decision, as this is where it all began for us.”

In the post, the owners say they realized when they opened the tap room in 2017 that there would come a time when they didn’t need to operate two locations so close together.

The bigger tap room facility, on 181st Street near Grand Park,  hosts numerous events, including craft beer parties, corporate outings, wedding receptions and community fundraisers. The owners said they have seen double-digit growth each year at the venue.

“The location represents the future of GJBC (with room to grow), allowing us to focus our efforts squarely on producing the best handcrafted beer we can and providing a great location in the process,” says the post, which is signed by the GJBC Team.

Grand Junction has partnered with Nameless Catering Co. and Las Tortugas Food Truck & Catering to provide catering for future events at the tap room.

The tap room also plans to soon open a kitchen to provide menu items such as smoked meats and pizza when food trucks are not on site.

Grand Junction Brewing owns the 1860s-era building used by brew pub. The building just east of State Road 32 offers 3,535 square feet of space, plus storage in the basement.

“Since we own the building of our downtown location and are shutting the pub down on our own terms, we certainly have some flexibility with its future,” the owners said on Facebook. “Who knows, maybe another great new Westfield restaurant will take our place! It’s going to be fun to watch, for sure!”