USA, VA: Champion Brewing closing its downtown Richmond location

Champion Brewing at 401 E. Grace St. in downtown Richmond is closing at the end of August, Richmond.com reported on August 2.

“We are not renewing our lease, which expires in December, and the landlord has asked to list the property early, so our last day will be Aug. 31,” said Champion’s president and head brewer, Hunter Smith.

The Charlottesville-based brewery opened its Richmond outpost in 2017, five years after its flagship spot.

“The Richmond market has been very supportive of our beers, particularly our experimental brews, since day one,” Smith wrote in the news release at the time.

The Richmond location was announced as a brewpub that was going to serve beer from the Charlottesville operation and ones brewed on-site in the new space.

The pub portion was announced as Sur Taco and Sandwich, a restaurant from Jason Alley and Michele Jones, who at the time (and until June) owned Pasture restaurant on the same block. The restaurant never opened, and Pasture closed in June.

Champion launched its own on-site food menu and added wine to its offerings in 2018.

In June, Grit Coffee — a Charlottesville-based coffee shop — opened a location inside Champion Brewing, and it’s hoping to stay.

“We’re working to figure things out with Champion and the landlord. We’ll be open for business as usual, and currently don’t have plans to move,” said Lauren Marks, operations manager for Grit.

04 August, 2019