LEBANON, Ohio — The Lebanon fire station on West Silver Street is set to be decommissioned later this year. In its place, a first for the city is coming: a craft brewery.
"The whole driveway out front will be leveled," said Nathan Ridgley, operations manager of the Lebanon Brewing Company. "We'll have some kind of coverage out here. Maybe a fence."
The new venue will feature 2,000 square feet of outdoor patio space and a 3,000 square-foot taproom with 20 beers, seltzers and sodas on tap. Ridgley, who grew up in Lebanon, is looking to serve up something fresh to the neighborhood.
“People are tired of driving to other local cities to get the same local entertainment value,” he said. “I think there's a lot of opportunity here to create that locally."
The town's only craft brewery will open its doors in spring 2022. With its location in the designated outdoor refreshment area, and with plans for an on-site food partner, Ridgley is expecting big turnouts when the Lebanon Brewing Company opens.
“We gained a lot of confidence with the response on social media,” he said. “Everyone that knows the town, it’s so overwhelming. Everyone has wanted one for so long. Now, someone is going to follow through in a building that everyone is familiar with landmark status.”
At nearby Dysfunctional Delights Meadery, Brad Ryles knows what it’s like to be the new kid on the block. That’s why he’s already collaborating with Lebanon Brewing ahead of its opening.
“We live in this area, like the area,” Ryles said. “The community is great. There's nothing like this in the area.”
He and his wife opened up shop in November. Their business specializes in small batch, fruity barrel aged meads.
“I thought, let's bring something new, something different. We do a lot of classic things in Lebanon. It's a classic mead drink. We decided we'd open it here. We love the community, love the people."
Brad knows what’s brewing in Lebanon will start as a faint buzz which will hopefully create a hive of activity.
“Lebanon is moving in a really nice direction right now, straddling the line of growing and maintaining its small town charm. We're excited to be a part of that,” he said.
