Limestone Brewing Closes Its Doors, Relocating to Undisclosed Fox Valley Spot

It's rumor no longer -- Saturday was the last day for Limestone Brewing Company in Plainfield.

In June, it will open in a new location in the Fox Valley area of Aurora, according to the business' Web site.

"It has been a tremendous couple of years," General Manager Jason Rosendahl said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't come to an agreement with our landlord, who is facing his own set of problems with foreclosure of the property."

Although the site did not disclose where the new spot will be, it described the location is in a high-traffic area with an "enormous patio area," which is something its current property lacked.

Limestone's landlord problems became public in January, when the employees were informed the brew pub/restaurant might be closing and brewmaster Ken McMullen urged members of the Plainfield  to come by for a final drink.

It's not known if the dispute with the landlord involved anything beyond rent, which has been a problem with other tenants as well.

McMullen said in the Web site that he's looking forward to a new location in which they can do even more in terms of expanding its beer options.

"The new location is allowing us to create a brewpub that will be truly unique and all together impressive," McMullen said. "We're proud of what we've done in Plainfield but just wait till you see waht we do in Fox Valley."

Joe Ardovitch, whose Ardmin Properties owns the North Plainfield Crossing strip mall in which Limestone is located, could not be reached for comment.

Some Limestone employees were told of the possible closure last week, and brewmaster Ken McMullen sent an online note to the Plainfield Ale & Lager Enthusiasts group urging them to drop by Saturday for a beer because they could be closing.

It is known that there have been issues involving at least two other tenants at the 12337 S. Route 59 property. , which opened in 2006, shut its doors in December. Ardovitch said at the time that they were not making enough income to cover the rent.

, one of the largest tenants next to Limestone, closed in June. Ardovitch said they, too, were having trouble paying their rent but that he did not force them to shut down.

Limestone opened in December 2009, brewing beer, including a number of changing seasonal brews, on site. It also offers tours and beer tastings, live entertainment and special events, such as movie nights and team trivia competitions.