Finalists chosen for former Quarter Barrel restaurant space in Hamilton, which saw dozens express interest

Dozens of companies have expressed interest in the building at 103 Main Street, formerly occupied by Quarter Barrel Brewery + Pub. Interested businesses must submit proposals for occupying the building by the end of business Friday, and several finalists will be chosen next week. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Dozens of companies have expressed interest in the building at 103 Main Street, formerly occupied by Quarter Barrel Brewery + Pub. Interested businesses must submit proposals for occupying the building by the end of business Friday, and several finalists will be chosen next week. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
By Mike Rutledge
Updated Feb 9, 2019
X

Officials from the CORE (Consortium for Ongoing Reinvestment Efforts) Fund in Hamilton have chosen the finalists who will compete to occupy the property at 103 Main St. that was occupied until Jan. 3 by Quarter Barrel Brewery + Pub. But they aren’t announcing how many finalists, or who they are.

Lauren Gersbach, a business development specialist for Hamilton, explained the rationale for that: Officials want whichever restaurant, which also may have a micro-brewery, to have as positive a publicity launch as possible. They don’t want people to get excited about one possible restaurant, only to have another chosen.

ExploreMORE HAMILTON DINING NEWS: New Chipotle coming to Hamilton’s West Side

“In an effort to give each finalist the best opportunity to succeed should they ultimately be selected to locate at 103 Main Street, CORE does not have any additional information to share at this time as they work through the final steps of the selection process,” Gersbach said.

HAMILTON DEVELOPMENT: Local businesses already prepping for expected Spooky Nook-related growth

Officials earlier, before the application deadline, said they hoped to choose 2-5 finalists from those who made official bids for the building, which offers the possibility of rooftop dining overlooking the Great Miami River and downtown Hamilton. Ultimately, five companies applied, including Listermann Brewing Company, based in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Evanston. Listermann, which appears to be still in the running, is the only company whose identity is known because they visited members of Hamilton City Council after a meeting following a tour of 103 Main St.

Listermann General Manager Jason Brewer told this media outlet that out of respect for the CORE Fund’s wishes, he could not say whether his company was a finalist.

MORE HAMILTON DINING NEWS

Roll On In’s new Hamilton location draws massive opening weekend crowd

6 things to know about Hamilton restaurant Basil 1791

Rib restaurant returns to Butler County with new location

About the Author

Mike Rutledge