Lock 27 craft brewery looking to expand again

Lock 27 Brewing is looking for space for a corporate headquarters.

Lock 27 Brewing is looking for space for a corporate headquarters.

Lock 27 Brewing — the local craft brewery and brewpub that started in Centerville six years ago before adding a significantly larger second location in downtown Dayton — is now looking grow again.

Steve Barnhart, founder and owner of Lock 27, said the brewery is gearing up to expand the distribution part of its business, and is now looking for space for a corporate headquarters. It started selling its canned beers in the retail market nearly a year ago.

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“A lot of our corporate functions are now done at our Dayton location, but we have outgrown that space,” Barnhart said. “We want to address the continued growth of our business, especially as we expand distribution.”

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Ideally, a new headquarters would also have additional space available that would allow Lock 27 to expand its brewing capabilities, too, Barnhart said.

“And none of this means we are closing or leaving any of our current locations,” the Lock 27 owner said.

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The brewery’s Centerville location, which opened in 2013 at 1035 S. Main St. (Ohio 48), is part of the ambitious Centerville Place redevelopment proposal for the former Kroger store and surrounding retail center on Ohio 48 between Sheehan and Spring Valley roads. Architectural plans for that project show a new-look Lock 27 with, potentially, a rooftop patio or deck, among other enhancements.

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Barnhart, who has lived in the Dayton area since 1984 and spent 15 years working in corporate development at NCR, opened the larger downtown Dayton brewery and gastro-pub adjacent to the Dayton Dragons Fifth Third Field in September 2017.

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