NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – It’s time to say goodbye to a local favorite business.
Large crowds gathered at O’Connor Brewing this weekend for the company’s farewell to the neighborhood party.
For 13 years, the brewery was a local favorite in Norfolk but will be leaving the Mermaid city on Sunday.
The company made the announcement on social media two weeks prior.
The news came as a shock to many, but did well in bringing dozens to O’Connor for their second to last day on 24th street.
It was a very special occasion for one man in particular.
“A real honor to celebrate my birthday here.”
Jay O’Brien was celebrating his 70th birthday at O’Connor.
He told 10 On Your Side that the business has always been a family favorite.
“We’ve enjoyed O’Connor(s) over the years. We live in Norfolk. We go around to a lot of the local breweries; we like to support local businesses,” he said.
Although O’Connor won’t physically be there anymore, their beers aren’t going away.
They say they’re teaming up with another Virginia brewer for, “access to new age hops, malts, and other ingredients.”
This was good news for O’Brien, because the beer is one of the things he liked most about the business. “I like their lager beer and the casual atmosphere.”
The Armed Forces Flagship Brewery will be taking over O’Connor’s space, according to the company’s CEO Alan Beal.
The veteran owned and operated brewer plans to have veterans make up at least 70 percent of its workforce.
“I’m retired Navy and I also worked for the Coast Guard after I retired from the Navy, so supporting veterans is important to me. If a business is here that’s associated with veterans, we’d love to support that,” O’Brien said in support of the change.
On social media O’Connor’s owners Kevin and Penny O’Connor said in part, “Although we are sad to say goodbye to our current neighborhood and employees, we are proud and grateful to be a part of the local business community since 2010.”
Sunday morning, on their last day at the Norfolk location, they posted on social media, “If you ever spent time in our brewery or working with our brewery, THANK YOU. You were a part of our history, and it means a lot that you supported us for 5 minutes or 5 years. Thanks for all the memories, folks; our hearts are truly filled.”