Another Noted Business to Close, Barley’s Brew Hub in Kennewick
They opened in Oct, 2014, and soon became a favorite of beer officianados everywhere in the Columbia Basin.
But Tuesday (today) January 12, a message was posted from owner Tom Floyd that Barley's Brew Hub would be closing at the "end of January." They were another of many direct economic 'victims' of COVID lockdowns, most noteably the one from mid-November.
The message, posted on Facebook, read as follows:
"After last week’s declaration on new phase one mandates, it comes with heavy heart to announce that Barley’s Brewhub will be closing our doors at the end of January. This has been a very tough decision for us, but there comes a time that we must move on with our plans.
We are going to miss our great customers and know so many are going to miss this place as well. We hope you will visit us before month’s end, to tip a cold one and see what we are working on next!
Please continue to support our local restaurants and small businesses as they have been the heart and soul of our economy! Many have been part of our community for generations and it would be devastating to see any of them have to close permanently."
Gov. Inslee announced a new "Healthy Washington" Re open plan, which put everyone back in Phase 1, the only real difference being the state is now divided into 8 regions. With Inslee's setbacks, many struggling businesses that were just starting to turn things around are now faced with another uphill climb out of the ditch.
An exact tally is not readily available, but according to various sources on social media who are attempting to keep track, at least 3,100 small businesses of various types (from bars to gyms to salons and others) have closed permanently due to COVID lockdowns in Washington State.
According to Yelp data, from last September, that number is estimated around 32-3400.