After struggling through the pandemic, this downtown drinking establishment is closing
A downtown Bellingham hangout that opened six months before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold will be closing permanently next month.
Thousand Acre Cider House announced on social media that it will be closing on Sunday, Oct. 10. Until then it will be open regular hours every day except Tuesday to give customers, neighbors and friends a chance to say goodbye to staff and sell as much cider as possible. The company is running specials on draft cider and beer. It also offers online orders for curbside pickup. Using the code FINALDays can get further discounts at the register or on its website.
Jenny and James Hagemann opened the cider house in August 2019 at 109 Grand Ave. with the goal of introducing people to cider drinks made around the world. It was also the goal to be a place where people could hang out and socialize, but that component was curtailed in the spring of 2020 when eating and drinking establishments went through a series of difficult restrictions to try and curb the spread of COVID-19.
As restrictions eased places like Thousand Acre attempted to adapt, building outdoor seating areas and working with neighbors to put on outdoor events.
“After 19+ months of flurried adaptations, recovery simply isn’t occurring fast enough and the future remains too uncertain for us to continue this dream,” according to a Facebook post on Thousand Acre’s business page. “There really aren’t words for the swirl of pride, exhaustion, gratitude, and sadness we are feeling as this worry we’ve been grappling with turns into written reality.”
The post also mentioned that the cider house’s staff will receive a severance package as they begin looking for new jobs.
In an email, Jenny Hagemann said they wish the best to fellow bar and restaurant owners as they continue to find that “new normal” during this ongoing pandemic.
“One of the silver linings we are looking forward to is visiting our favorite establishments as grateful customers once again,” Hagemann said. “In fact, we hope to see someone take over where we left off to reinvent the beautiful space we’ve created so we can sit on the other side of the bar one day.”
If there are serious inquiries for purchase of Thousand Acre assets, Hagemann said they can contact her by email at info@thousandacreciderhouse.com.
The announced closure of Thousand Acre Cider House comes at a time when a few other Bellingham eateries have also closed, including Fat Pie Pizza in Fairhaven, Casa Que Pasa in the downtown district and Woods Coffee in the downtown Flatiron building.
This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 3:52 PM.
