Canada, BC: Forbidden Brewing Company closes its doors in Courtenay

The Forbidden Brewing Company has closed its doors in Courtenay, the Comox Valley Record reported on September 30.

The nano-brewery located at 1590 Cliffe Ave. at the Best Western Westerly Hotel officially closed its doors on September 29, confirmed owner Michael Vincent, who did not want to comment any further.

U-Haul trucks were seen outside the brewery on September 30, which opened in 2015 and has occupied the space at the Westerly hotel since July 2014.

The FBC’s lease ran until the end of September, with options for renewal until 2024.

Rick Browning, managing partner of the hotel, confirmed equipment was being moved from the space.

While he couldn’t confirm what was going to occupy the space next, he did note there is “a user in place and the paperwork has been done” but could not provide further details, as he added the next steps depend on the permitting process.

FBC and its landlord have had a rocky relationship in the past.

Disagreements between the hotel and the brewery arose in 2016 when the brewery applied to renew its lease. Hotel management cited a series of breaches of the brewery’s lease agreement.

In September 2017, the Supreme Court of B.C. ruled in favour of the FBC being allowed to stay at the hotel as a tenant.

The court’s 2017 ruling did find the brewery owed the hotel money, but that the exact amount was unclear.

In early 2018, a notice was taped to the door of the brewery indicating it was not compliant with its lease agreement and was being evicted, effective immediately.

At the time, Browning said the brewery had not paid its ‘Additional Rents’ from October through December 2017.

The notice also cited offering live music, operating exterior signage without permission and not providing customers with designated parking stalls as examples of breaches of the lease.

Vincent previously stated the brewery was not in the wrong and added the conflict between the brewery and the Westerly Hotel had been going on for years.

Two weeks after being issued eviction notices, a temporary court ruling granted relief from forfeiture and that access to its premises be returned immediately.

06 October, 2019