Wages Brewing Co. to close during move

Wages Brewing Company will close beginning Sunday while they move to the downtown West Plains area. The local brewery expects to be closed for the rest of 2024 and is planning to reopen in mid-January 2025 at their new location at 503 Washington Avenue. Owner Phil Wages spoke with Howell County News about the new location, the closure, and events this week.

 

“I'm closing because I can't run the business and do the relocation at the same time,” Wages told the News. “It's just too much to tackle. I don't have all the crowdfunding plans and the full scope of what it's going to be.”

 

Wages Brewing Company has been at its current location since 2016, and the owner has been looking to move for a few years. The new location, known to locals as the old Broadway Furniture building, sits within the West Plains Entertainment District. This makes the location attractive to businesses that sell alcoholic beverages, as the district has an Open Cup policy. “This is the third or fourth location I've looked at,” said Wages, “This one is going to, I think, have the right arrangement of things.”

 

Wages Brewing Company will be located in the brick section of the building, the furthest western portion. According to Wages, the other side of the building is intended to be restaurants and, possibly, a pop-up kitchen. “That would still allow us to do things like the beer pairing dinners that we've had a lot of success with. Then, the connecting area in between would be a common area.” Wages said on the building plans. He compared this area as a similar concept to 14 Mill Market in Nixa, which is a food hall and entertainment area.

 

The local brewery has a big week leading up to their closing for relocation. On Oct. 2, guest chef Dylan McManis will be holding a pop-up dinner from 5 to 8 pm. Thursday will be the last Chess Night at Wages current location from 6 to 8 pm. Friday will be a double feature with a spooky-themed Vinyl Night and a schnitzel dinner beginning at 5 pm. On Saturday, Wages Brewing Co. will be holding their 11th Annual Ozarktoberfest from 2 to 6 pm. This will feature over 20 Wages beers, a mug holding competition benefiting the Boys & Girls Club, and food trucks including Mandy's Hot Dogs, Senor Valentin, Smoky Holler BBQ, and King Size will be performing for the crowd.

 

Wages Brewing Company is currently located at 1382 Bill Virdon Boulevard. For more information events, Ozarktoberfest, and the upcoming crowdfunding to support their move, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/WagesBrewCo.