93.3 KWTO Keeping Watch Over the Ozarks
The Patton Alley Pub, one of downtown Springfield’s top venues for local performers, announced via social media they will be closing because of the downturn of business related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ownership announced on Facebook that they will be ending 17 years of service to the community.
“After 17+years, the reduction in sales due to COVID finally overwhelmed us and we cannot financially continue,” the Pub owners wrote. “We cannot thank our amazing Pub Family (Customers, Staff, Musicians, Sound Engineers, Trivia, and so many more) enough for all the support over the last 17 years. We loved the chance to be part of your lives and creating so many memories.”
The Pub, which opened in 2003, has been a staple of downtown nightlife as the city worked to revitalize the downtown area.
“Heavy hearts for us this morning,” the Downtown Springfield Association posted online. “We can’t thank Patton Alley Pub enough for everything they’ve contributed to our neighborhood.”
The loss of the entertainment venue will have a significant negative impact on the downtown music scene, as the Pub was considered a prime location for up and coming Springfield artists.
“I heard a lot of great original music by local artists at Patton,” local artist Justin Larkin told KWTO. “I also got to play some of my favorite shows there over the years. It was a great landing pad after seeing a show somewhere else, as it was always a great place to unwind and enjoy a killer tri-tip sandwich. Its closure symbolizes the end of an era. Yet another sad loss of the pandemic.”