Matthew Oliver and wife announce closure of Lincoln brewhouse to pursue new interests

Restaurant owner Matthew Oliver announced Wednesday the closure of his Lincoln restaurant, Oliver’s Brewhouse and Grill.

In a video posted to the restaurant’s social media page, Oliver and his wife, Siobhan, said they have decided to make their family more of a priority and focus on things that “God’s placed in our heart.”

Speaking by phone Wednesday, Oliver said he and his wife are “focusing on other projects and passion that have been stirred during the COVID shutdowns.”

Namely, Liberty Learning Ministry, an independent learning membership program. Oliver said he has been working on building it over the last year and it now serves 130 students.

Oliver, a pastor, opened Oliver’s Brewhouse and Grill in 2021 in a historic brick building in downtown Lincoln. The restaurant served mostly American fare such as sandwiches, burgers and pizzas.

The restaurant, including its in-house brewery, had previously been listed for sale for $750,000 in November 2022 after a family member in England was diagnosed with cancer, Oliver said at the time.

Oliver and his wife later decided not to sell the restaurant after community members stepped up to help run the business during that time, he said.

“It’s been a wild ride, hasn’t been a perfect ride,” Oliver said in Wednesday’s video. “In fact, we’ve had some ups and we’ve had some downs, and we’ve learned a lot. And for me, it’s been a learning experience and a humbling experience, but it’s been beautiful.

“And that’s why it’s with a heavy heart that we have to announce that we are closing the doors of Oliver’s Brewhouse and Grill in Lincoln,” he said.

“I’m always looking for ways to give back to the community and the reality is that restaurant was tough, the economy was tough, that building and location was tough,” Oliver said. “We were spending a lot of time keeping things duct-taped together when we had other things on our heart.”

Gift cards for Oliver’s Brewhouse and Grill will be honored at his Roseville restaurant, House of Oliver at Douglas and Sierra College boulevards, Oliver said in the video.

This story was originally published May 11, 2023 at 7:51 AM.