LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Diamond Bear Brewing Company became Arkansas’s first brewery when Russ and Sue Melton opened it in 2000.
Twenty-four years later, the property it currently sits on is set to be sold due to Russ Melton's impending retirement, and he said that has led to some misconceptions about what will happen to the Diamond Bear.
"I want to make sure we're clear," Melton said. "It's the property that's for sale."
According to Melton, the property housing the Diamond Bear—and Ol’ Bart Southern Eats, which joined the facility in 2023—could very well go to someone who wants to keep the brewery up and running.
"The buyer may want the brewery as well,” Melton said, “And by the way, probably half of the people that call seem to have an interest in that."
Even if they don't, Diamond Bear's subsequent owners could continue to rent the North Little Rock property from its new owner, as Ol’ Bart is currently doing.
The new owners could also choose to move Diamond Bear to another location, which happened in 2014 when the brewing company moved to its current location at 600 North Broadway Street.
"We would either rent,” Melton said. “Or we would have some time to move to a place of our choosing to rent."
Melton said a fourth alternative would be the board liquidating the Diamond Bear, but he doesn't expect this to happen.
As for Ol’ Bart Southern Eats, owner Bart Likes said they're not going anywhere.
"If someone buys the property, we get a new landlord,” Likes said. “If someone buys the property, and they happen to buy Diamond Bear too... that's great. We've got fresh blood coming in, fresh things coming in and we love to partner up and do things like that."
Melton said if the property isn’t sold by Oct. 25, an auction will be held on that same day at 9 a.m.
Blackmon Auctions and Thomas Blackmon Realty are handling the sale.