Back at the beginning of March, Sunday Service Motor Company announced they were temporarily closed for renovations.
They kept repeating that announcement for weeks on end. It lasted all the way until late June, and then the social media posts stopped entirely.
So we cannot say that Tuesday’s formal announcement that the brewery/coffee shop would never reopen caught us by surprise.
This was the posting on Facebook:
“This one’s hard to write. After many difficult conversations, we’ve decided to close Sunday Service Motor Co, effective immediately.
“Being part of this neighborhood has been the best part of the whole ride. We’ve gotten to know so many of you by name, watched friendships start at our tables, and learned a ton from you along the way. Doing life alongside this community has meant more to us than we can say.
“To everyone who’s supported us and followed along: thank you. Truly. We love you guys. You made our dream real, and we honestly can’t put into words how grateful we are.
“To our incredible staff: you were the heart of this place. Thank you for every cup, every pint and every welcome you gave our guests.
“We know the Near North Valley deserves a spot for good coffee, good beer and good food. The space is ready to go for whoever wants to pick it up and keep serving this neighborhood without missing a beat.
“So one last favor. Show everyone how much this neighborhood wants a place for good eats and good hangs. Like it, share it, repost it. And if you know someone looking for their next project, send them our way! Let’s get the neighborhood something AWESOME!”
We did enjoy the time spent at SSMC, mainly with our fellow Bayern Munich fans. That group has now moved over to Lasso for weekend matches, the Tin Can Alley SFBC taproom for weekday games.
Still, there was something cool about claiming the quirky little spot on Fourth Street as our own for a while. Even when they scaled back their hours, they would open early for the German matches. Owner Kevin Anderson and his staff were always kind and accommodating to our rag-tag group.
It’s been a tough year for breweries, there is no question about that, and not just in Albuquerque but nationwide. It feels like we have posted more than once this year that we hoped that story we were writing about a closure would be the last one for a while. Sadly, it has not worked out that way.
In the end, we will just say thank you to everyone at Sunday Service. It was good to have you all in our craft beer scene, if even for too short of a time.
Pröst!
— Stoutmeister
