Locust Cider is stepping away from ownership of its Gig Harbor, Washington, taproom, but the location will remain open under new ownership and continue serving the cidery’s products.
Jason and Rebecca Spears, owners of Locust Cider, announced the transition online after what they described as a difficult evaluation of the company’s future following several challenging years for small businesses. The taproom will be taken over by the owner of Joysticks, an Auburn, Washington, gaming business. The new owner plans to retain the existing staff while expanding the gaming offerings at the location.
The taproom will eventually be renamed The Harbor Hideout.
“We just won’t be the ones running the show anymore,” the Spears said in announcing the change.
The transition allows Locust Cider to remain present at the Gig Harbor location while the company focuses on its cider production and wholesale business. Locust Cider will continue producing cider and selling it to bars, restaurants and retailers throughout the region.
Locust Cider also will remain on tap at the former taproom, which will operate as The Harbor Hideout.
The Spears said the decision followed the financial pressures that came after the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, prompting the company to restructure and reconsider the future of its taproom operations.
“Closing it was never something we wanted,” the Spears said. “We live here. This taproom has become a real gathering place for our town.”
Rather than close the location, the owners said they took time to find someone who could continue operating the space while building on what was already established.
The existing staff will remain with the business, and the new owner plans to expand the gaming component of the location. The Spears said preserving the staff was an important part of the transition.
“To our team, thank you for being so amazing through all of our transitions,” they said. “You’ve rolled with every change, kept the taps flowing and the games running, and made everyone who walked in feel at home.”
The change also marks a shift in Locust Cider’s broader retail strategy. The Gig Harbor location will be the company’s final taproom, as Locust Cider said it will no longer operate taprooms of its own. The company said customers should continue to find its cider through wholesale accounts, including bars, restaurants and retailers around the region.
Details surrounding Swarm Club memberships and the Locust app remain under discussion. The Spears said they are working through those details with the new owner and will provide additional information when it is available. While the name and ownership of the Gig Harbor location will change, Locust Cider said the transition is intended to preserve much of what customers have come to know at the taproom, including its staff, games and access to Locust cider.
