The beautiful architecture and the ultra-cool interior design at 119 East Second Street have always made it an attractive location for various businesses.

Some friends of mine and I partied there back in the 2000s when it was Zazu's if I'm not mistaken. And for the past year, Mile Wide Beer Company has called it home.

Owensboroans who'd experienced Mile Wide's original location during their travels to Louisville were rightly excited when the decision was made to open a second one here.

Again, it's one of the city's most attractive hang-outs.

But I've seen a growing number of tell-tale signs on the doors of businesses all over Kentucky and Indiana--and, recently, in Ohio--that say things like, "We're closing at 7 PM until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience." There are fast-food restaurants that only have their drive-through windows open due to a labor shortage.

I've talked to plenty of business owners who have told me how tough it's been since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And now that reality has sadly had an effect on Mile Wide Beer Company, one of only two breweries in Owensboro, as it has announced that it will close at the end of November.

From Mile Wide/Owensboro's Facebook page:

"Being a small business is exhausting work on a good day, and soul-crushing on the bad days. This is one of the bad ones. It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of Mile Wide’s Owensboro taproom. Our last day of service will be Sunday, November 28th.
We signed the lease on the space in late February 2020, mere weeks before the world shut down. We had our Grand Opening on November 13th, 2020, only to be met with another Covid-induced shutdown some 10 days later. When things started to open in early Summer, we had a glimmer of hope that the corner had been turned. But unfortunately, we were just never able to financially recover from the setbacks that Covid dealt us in those first 6+ months."
The post, which you can see here in its entirety, goes on to thank the city of Owensboro and the patrons who visited the Taproom and made it a favorite place to hang out with friends and chill.
We wish everyone at Mile Wide all the best and look forward to their next venture.

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