Dublin Bottling Works has announced that Old Doc’s Soda Shop and its museums will remain closed currently, but it will continue to maintain the sales center in the front office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I want to thank you with all my heart for your support and tell you we are tremendously saddened that the tourism side of our business will remain closed for the foreseeable future,” wrote DBW President Kent Crouch in a release last week.
“I truly believed Old Doc’s Soda Shop could withstand the storm and the uncertainty of COVID-19, he continued. “DBW went all in during 2020 and did not close Old Doc’s Soda Shop or either museum.
“Old Doc’s Soda Shop and the tourism part of our business can only function with high traffic volume in and out of our brick–andmortar retail store,” Crouc wrote. “Since January 2012, our tourism numbers have decreased from over 100,000 visitors to less than a few thousand per year. To all who loved Mr. Billie Kloster’s story and, the amazing Old Doc’s pure cane sugar products,thank you for your continued support of all our brands and flavors!”
Crouch encouraged all visitors to Dublin to visit the many other local retail stores and museums as well as the DBW sales center.
“We will be back soon,” he assured. “However, there’s no date on the horizon just yet.”
This will be DBW’s 130th year of continued business in the same location, bottling sodas with pure cane sugar.
—Citizen staff report