‘Difficult decision’: Westport Beer Store now closed for good

Much to the dismay of local residents and cottage-goers, The Beer Store in Westport officially closed down on Jan. 19.

While speculations have been swirling online about the reasoning behind the closure, Brockvilleist reached out to The Beer Store directly for a statement. 

The retail location first closed temporarily in November 2024 due to apparent mold issues. Mayor Robin Jones shared on Nov. 9, 2024,  “Our MPP, Steve Clark, has been working on our behalf.  He has learned that the Beer Store is closed due to a re-occurrence of a mould problem. MPP Clark has been advocating with Brewer’s Retail to provide beer sales and returns while dealing with the remediation.” 

While the store did reopen for just over a month, it has now shut its doors permanently with no plans to reopen.

Vice President of Retail Ozzie Ahmed told Brockvilleist, “Like any retailer in today’s evolving marketplace for beverage alcohol, we are continually evaluating our business operations to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our customers and adapting to change.”

He continued, “After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our store, as it has reached the end of its life expectancy. This was not an easy choice, but we believe it is the best decision at this time.”

On behalf of the Beer Store Westport, Ahmed wanted to publicly express their gratitude for their customers’ loyal support throughout the years.