Freight and Rail Brewing Company closes through January due to financial concerns
Freight and Rail Brewing Company, which opened its doors for business at the beginning of March last year, just two weeks before the coronavirus pandemic hit Gordon County, recently announced that it will close its doors for “at least” the month of January due to a lack of funding.
“Since this summer, we have been trying to secure additional investments and partners for our business, but have been unsuccessful,” the company announced in a post to its Facebook page last Wednesday. “We’re incredibly sorry that we’re
not able to continue this adventure with you, especially since we’ve made so many great friends during these past 9 months.”
Within two days of the announcement, a GoFundMe campaign was started by Lindsey Clance in an attempt to aid the business. As of Tuesday, more than $ 790 had been raised toward a $ 5,000 goal.
“This is Calhoun’s first and only brewery,” Clance said in a post to the page. “A place that not only allows locals to enjoy a variety of great tasting craft beer, but also brings people together of all different ages and backgrounds. I hope our local community and surrounding areas can come together and donate
to help this small business in a time of need.”
Downtown Development Director Suzanne Roberts and Kathy Johnson, president of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce, were unavailable before press time to comment on the impact losing a destination business like Freight and Rail might have on the business mix downtown.
If Freight and Rail were to close its doors permanently, it would mark the end of a nearly three- year journey on the part of founding partners Andrew Tierce, Justin Childress and Dakota Rasbury, who first met just over two years ago as members of the CalhounGordon County Leadership program hosted by the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce. Childress, who works in real estate, said Tierce brought the idea forward, and they developed
the vision together.
Their goal became twofold — to provide a fun place for members of the local community to come and spend time together and to support business development downtown.
“We really want this to be a meeting place where people can come and hangout,” Childress said at the pub’s opening last year. “At the end of the day, if it’s not good for the city or the county, we don’t want to be part of it.”
The outpouring of support the business has seen from the community since announcing the January closure indicates they achieved the first, and the opening of Trackside Pizzeria and Pub on South Park Avenue was largely due to the close proximity of the brewery itself.
For information on contributing to the crowd
funding efforts to support Freight and Rail Brewing Company, search for ‘ Freight & Rail Brewery Support’ on GoFundMe or visit the company’s Facebook page.