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A favorite brewery of Lorain locals was vandalized over the weekend, but will reopen Oct. 12.

Chris Kambouris, founder and owner of Bascule Brewery and Public House, was hundreds of miles away in Chicago the morning of Oct. 8 when he received news that someone vandalized his business by breaking a large window as well as damaging the entranceway windows.

Located at 1397 Colorado Ave., it’s the first time since opening in 2015 that the brewery had been the target of vandals, said Kambouris, who also is the head brewer for Bascule Brewery and Public House, which seats about 65 people.

Kambouris suspects the vandalism occurred sometime between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., Oct. 8.

Though the brew master is puzzled as to why someone would want to vandalize his business, Kambouris said he is uplifted by the outpouring of support from the community.

“It got noticed right away,” he said of the damage to the building.

Shortly after sunrise, Kambouris said concerned residents began calling him about the broken windows.

Within a few hours, the brewery was boarded up at Kambouris’ request.

“It was such a relief having it taken care of being so far away,” he said.

Kambouris then decided to close up shop for the weekend “because of the uncertainty of the situation.”

It appears the vandals first attempted to smash the main entrance on the east side of the building, but were foiled because the glass is reinforced on each of the doorways, he said.

After failing to enter the premises through the doors, someone smashed the eight-foot-by-eight-foot window next to the entrance on the east side of the building.

The Lorain Police Department was contacted to investigate the matter.

“The police have been extremely helpful,” Kambouris said. “The Lorain Police Department is outstanding. We’re just fortunate that no one was around to get hurt.”

Kambouris said he hopes someday to look back on the incident as “just another small hick-up” in owning a business.

He said he is in the process of adding a kitchen to the brewery, which he describes as a cozy, family-friendly establishment filled with various historical local artifacts.

“It’s almost like a museum,” Kambouris said. “We have artifacts of the shipping culture in Lorain, the steel mill industry and an original control panel of the Bascule Bridge.”

Luckily, it appears no one entered the premises during the vandalism, he said.

Regardless, Kambouris said he and his staff won’t let the incident slow them down.

“We certainly don’t plan to let it hinder us,” he said. “We wholeheartedly intend to be open Wednesday for Trivia Night.”

Bascule Brewery and Public House is Lorain’s first brewery to offer craft beers and hard seltzers, according to its website.

To learn more about the brewery, visit basculebrewery.com.

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