Ghost Runners Brewery will remain in operation after resolving a lawsuit with a former investor, though it will lose its expansion space at The Waterfront Vancouver.
The Vancouver brewery and Texas entrepreneur Brad Rummer reached the settlement late last week. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Ghost Runners Brewery will retain its current taproom at 4216 N.E. Minnehaha St. The brewery’s founders faced losing the entire business after being placed into receivership.
“We’re just happy to have what we started back,” co-founder Amy Seibel said of the taproom. “That’s ours. It’s a good thing. It definitely could have been a lot worse.”
Rummer will retain the lease for restaurant space at the waterfront that was to be the brewery’s next phase. He told The Columbian he is happy to put the case behind him.
“Nothing ever works out well when it goes the legal route. Nobody’s happy,” he said. “I’m sure it was a learning experience on both parties.”
Rummer’s initial complaint in December argued that after investing $200,000 in the brewery, it had been mismanaged to near-insolvency; and said he was asked to spend more money to keep it afloat.
The Seibels countered that claim by saying Rummer torpedoed the distribution of their craft beer, curtailing revenues while expenses mounted. Rummer denied the allegation.
Ghost Runners was placed into receivership in January until the settlement was reached April 5.
Jeff Seibel said he and his wife, who oversee the brewery’s daily operations together, are excited to get back to work.
“Obviously it would have been cool if everything worked out they way it was supposed to … but we had great support from the community,” he said. “All that really needs to be said is that Ghost Runners Brewery gets to remain.”
The taproom will consume most of their energies in the immediate future, he added. They hope to land more food trucks, host more events and otherwise maximize the 6,000-square-foot space while getting back on their feet.
And, after losing their distribution manager and head brewer, Jeff Seibel said he is working to get their beer-making back on track.
“I’m the brewer and I’m the taproom,” Seibel said. “Our main focus for the interim, for the perceived next six months, will be the taproom.”
Rummer, meanwhile, said he has not been able to make any plans for the space at The Waterfront Vancouver while the case was underway.
“Nothing could happen until this got resolved,” he said. “Everything’s sort of in limbo. All of the legal documents have just been signed.”
The 5,200-square-foot waterfront space is on the second floor of Block 12, overlooking the Columbia River. That building is slated to be among the first to open at the multimillion-dollar overhaul of Vancouver’s waterfront properties.
