Mountain View’s Bierhaus closed Friday, according to signs posted by owner Mike Finley.
“Goodbye everyone we love you, please be generous to the crew,” Finley wrote on the advertised Staff Appreciation Night, which took place Friday.
Finley created a Change.org petition, addressed to the Mountain View City Council, in an effort to “Save Bierhaus!” Finley names the landlord’s interest in evicting the business to create a new office space as the reason for Bierhaus’s end.
“We ask for Bierhaus to stay in place until the Mountain View city council approves a new development plan,” Finley’s petition reads. “Downtown Mountain View is quickly losing it’s vibrant character. We oppose any future downtown Mountain View development that enriches developers at the expense of the community and local small businesses.”
The Town Crier learned in July that permits to demolish the beer garden and its outdoor patio and build a brand new commercial building were moving forward despite community protest, with preliminary plans already put forth to add retail on the first floor.
More than 1,500 locals have signed the petition, noting that they would rather have a dog-friendly community gathering space than more offices. Tweets related to the Bierhaus feud with their landlords have been posted on the restaurant’s account since mid-August and an article confirming that each party would only speak to each other through attorneys— with Finley seriously considering a lawsuit— is referenced to on the restaurant’s website.
“This place is awesome and the people there are very kind and helpful,” signee Courtney Kizer added along with her digital John Hancock. “Don’t turn something amazing into an office building, pushing the Mountain View we love into something we don’t.”
Finley was not able to be reached for a final comment.
