Located on 41st and Washington streets just east of downtown Phoenix, the brewery and taproom find their home in a former firehouse. The taproom and restaurant fits inside the old firetruck garage, with towering ceilings and giant roll-up doors. Currently, they open onto a small patio filled with picnic tables and often, live music.
But soon, there will be no permanent spot to sip on Walter Station's beers. The company posted an announcement to social media on Tuesday, explaining its path forward.
While the taproom will close, "all other facets of the Walter Station brand, including brewery operations, beer distribution throughout the state, Walter Studios and Walter WhereHouse will remain open as usual."
The announcement went on to explain that the beer distribution aspect of the business "is consuming the bulk of our resources and will be our focus moving forward." This change follows a trend as other local breweries have similarly shifted their focus to production in recent months.
The company also explained that the taproom had struggled "to achieve its potential amid slow growth periods following the pandemic."
The Walter Station taproom included a bar pouring the company's brews and a restaurant serving a beer-hall menu of flatbreads, pretzels, nachos and sandwiches. It also frequently held events such as trivia nights, live music and sports watch parties.
On April 20, the previously planned 4/20 Bowl Resin party will still take place, the statement shared, noting that there is also a "big last party" in the works.
The statement shared that "this is not a sad occasion, but rather a new direction," and encouraged fans to look for the beers in more stores, bars and restaurants in the future.
Fans, however, did find the announcement sad, and shared their reactions in the comments.
"Omg this is heartbreaking!" one commenter wrote.
"This is so sad we love this place!!!" wrote another.
"This is so sad to hear. We come before every single Phoenix Rising match and it's always been a packed house," one soccer fan wrote.
The taproom will remain open through the end of April for customers to get a last pint of Baja Girl or Hazing Arizona at the old firehouse.
