Greene County’s beloved Oconee Brewing Company (OBC) has closed its doors — for now at least.
Ameris Bank foreclosed the downtown Greensboro property on Jan. 7 for debt totaling more than $1.1 million.
The foreclosure notice came in November after the brewery struggled to repay a high-interest senior loan from the U.S. Small Business Association. Shortly after, a GoFundMe page was created to help save the brewery, but it only raised about $20,000. OBC cofounder Taylor Lamm also said several purchase offers were made by local investment groups, but Ameris Bank declined each of them.
“Unfortunately, in the end, we were unable to get a deal done prior to foreclosure,” Lamm said in a Facebook video. “That closes the doors for at least the immediate future, but we still remain hopeful and optimistic.
“This is the end of that chapter, but we believe that this is not the end of our story,” continued Lamm. “We still are actively talking to some groups that have an interest in still trying to strike a deal with the bank post-foreclosure. While this is a rocky road we’re traveling down, we’re still fighting behind the scenes … We are beyond thankful for the support of the community and being along this wild ride with us. We’ll keep you updated and see everyone again really soon.”