Another local business is saying adios.
After months of being temporarily shut down, The Independent Distillery has decided to keep its doors permanently closed on 30 S. Arizona Ave.
“In 2015, after five years of planning, we took the plunge and opened,” The Independent Distillery posted on Facebook. “Anyone who ever stepped foot inside knew it was special. We faced tons of unexpected challenges along the way, for sure, and we had finally succeeded in moving past several obstacles, which seemed to always be strategically placed in the way of our growth when COVID-19 struck.”
The distillery also posted that it fought hard to keep the doors open, but after months without revenue, forced closures, and new guidelines that included a lower occupancy number, it “didn’t make financial sense to reopen.”
“As we close this dream of ours, we encourage all of you, our friends, to reach out to other locally owned businesses before it’s too late and stop in, buy a beer, some food, a gift card to be used sometime in the future when the dust has settled.”
Founder and CEO Don Northrup began working on The Independent Distillery about a decade ago and opened the large barn doors downtown back in 2015.
Keep up with The Independent Distillery on Facebook.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
