Johnson County brewery closing ‘with heavy hearts’ after five years
Five years ago, Pathlight Brewing debuted in Shawnee at 11200 W. 75th St.
But on June 20, the weekend of its anniversary, the brewery will also say goodbye.
Pathlight announced on its social media pages Wednesday that it would close.
“It’s with heavy hearts we announce the closing of Pathlight Brewing. This decision wasn’t made lightly, and we are overwhelmed with a mix of gratitude, pride, and loss as we reflect on the past five years,” the farewell post reads in part. “Thank you for not only walking this path with us, but for lighting the way.”
Fans of Pathlight bemoaned the news on the Facebook page.
“This is the worst news,” wrote one user.
“Noo! Best craft beer in JoCo,” said another.
The brewery could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday morning.
Pathlight isn’t the only Kansas City area brewery to close in the last few months.
In March, Double Shift closed its spot in the Crossroads at 412 E. 18th St.
That same month, Grains and Taps announced the closure of its downtown Lee’s Summit location at 10 SW Third St. Its other location, at 310 SW Blue Parkway in Lee’s Summit’s Pine Tree Plaza, is still open.
Shawnee still remains a hub for restaurants, bars and breweries, especially in its downtown corridor. Transport Brewery, Friction Beer Co., and Servaes Brewing Co. all have homes in the district.
Bar and grill Hank’s Garage recently opened in March at 5801 Nieman Road. Soon, tapas restaurant Gilda’s Bar de Tapas will open at 5815 Nieman Road. An updated opening date for Gilda’s was not readily available Thursday morning.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 10:25 AM.