Rockmill Brewery is for sale, but plans to remain open
Rockmill Brewery is for sale, but according to owner and founder Matthew Barbee, it will continue to operate.
A real estate listing shows the Rockmill property–an idyllic 23-acre former horse farm in Fairfield County—will soon be for sale, with a price tag $6.75 million.
The listing includes the property, as well as the 5,080 square foot, six-bedroom Rockmill farmhouse, the Rockmill brand and brewery.
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Barbee’s plan is to find a buyer willing to take over not only the property, but also the Rockmill brewery and brand to continue operations. He said Rockmill Brewery will stay open until a sale is made, and ideally even through the change of ownership process.
“My focus is keeping the business running smoothly, kind of facilitating the successful sale of the business and a smooth transition,” he said. “We have personal and employees that I’m excited to set up with the next management group.”
Barbee added that it’s not only a matter of finding a buyer, but finding the right buyer who will be willing and able to carry Rockmill into the future.
“This is a passion project that I’ve built over the last decade. I feel every connected to it, and very connected to its future, so finding the right buyer who’s passionate about the brand is important,” he said. “I have lots of ideas for growth in the future that ultimately I would love to see somebody else follow through on.”
Rockmill Brewery was founded by Barbee in 2010. The brewery also had a sister taproom and restaurant, known as Rockmill Tavern, in the Arena District. This closed during the onset of the pandemic, and reopened as the rebranded Bandit Pizza & Pairings last fall. Bandit then closed for good earlier this year.
As for Barbee, he’s not exactly sure what the future holds for him, but he’s planning to take some time off after the sale before moving to his next project.
“Once it’s competent I’ll just take a season to catch my breath, regroup and think about my next move,” he said.
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