MudLounge to come under new ownership

Downtown’s MudLounge, the sister bar to Mudhouse Coffee, is close to having new owners.

Chris and Nicole Brown expect to close on the purchase of the 15-year-old MudLounge, 321 E. Walnut St., on Sept. 17. Nicole Brown declined to disclose the financial terms of the pending deal with Rob Weislocher and Brian King, who will maintain ownership of the Mudhouse.

Brown, a real estate agent with Murney Associates, Realtors and the organizer of Springfield Sculpture Walk, said she and her husband have known Weislocher and King for years and recently entered purchase discussions for the MudLounge.

“The MudLounge is an institution of downtown Springfield,” she said. “We’re just really passionate about downtown and what’s happening in downtown right now as far as the revitalization. We just love the community and we really love that bar.”

Brown said her husband, who sells craft beer to grocery stores and restaurants through his job at Major Brands, will lead the day-to-day operations of the MudLounge.

“He’s got a passion for craft beers and wine. He really loves the MudLounge because they have a focus on craft beer,” Brown said, noting her husband would exit his position at Major Brands.

Brown said she and her husband intend to keep on the MudLounge’s roughly 13 employees and take over the lease with building owner Ralph Plank. She declined to disclose lease terms.

The pending sale of the MudLounge was first reported by the Springfield News-Leader.