End of an era and a new beginning for Dayton beer pioneer

A local beer bar and restaurant that was a pioneer of the craft beer movement in the Dayton area shut the doors of its original location, but its second, newer location will remain open.

Chappys Tap Room and Grille at 2733 West Alex-Bell Road near Springboro Pike (Ohio 741) in Moraine — which opened in 2007 and helped lay the groundwork for the Dayton area’s thriving brewery scene — consolidated operations to Chappy's Social House at 7880 Washington Village Drive in Washington Twp.

>> CONFIRMED: Beavercreek pizza restaurant to shut down for good after more than 40 years

The Moraine pub’s lease expired at the end of June, and consolidating to the larger Centerville-area location “was always our plan,” Chappys co-founder and co-owner Lori Yanko Camplin told this news outlet today. All employees of the Moraine location were offered positions at the Washington Twp. location, Camplin said.

>> What's next for the former Barnsider restaurant? The new owners won't say, but we've got details.

Going forward, Chappys Social House will be open seven days a week at 11 a.m., Camplin said. All gift cards and beer-club cards from the Moraine location will be honored at the Washington Village Drive pub.

Credit: Teesha McClam

Credit: Teesha McClam

>> 4 places to go this weekend to get a jump start on your Fourth celebration

“We appreciate all the great times we shared with you at the Moraine location and look forward to making more memories at the Centerville location. We will have Trivia on Mondays and Pint Night on Thursdays,” Camplin said on the Beer Geeks Dayton Ohio Chapter Facebook page. She and her husband and Chappys co-founder Dave Camplin will “be at the Moraine location Saturday night, so you can stop in and help us say goodbye to the place that started it all!”

>> NEW: Buckeye Vodka co-founder is our Daytonian of the Week

Along with Boston’s Bistro & Pub in downtown Dayton, which later moved to Harrison Twp. before closing in 2016, Chappys Tap Room & Grille helped slake the Dayton area’s early thirst for craft beer in the most recent wave of enthusiasm for craft brews. The original Chappys was the site of the first few Cask Ale AleFests, an event that was revived after a five-year hiatus just last weekend in downtown Dayton.

>> RELATED: Chappys Tap Room confirms 2nd location

The Chappys Social House in Washington Twp. opened in August 2015 in the former Champps sports bar space, eight years after the original location opened. It seats more than 300.

About the Author