E-Malt.com News article: USA, OH: Royal Docks Brewing Co. closing its remaining location

Royal Docks Brewing Co. is issuing a last call before closing its remaining location, Canton Repository reported on September 16.

"After over a decade of memories, milestones, pivots, and pints, our last day open to the public will be Sunday, September 21st," the company announced on Facebook. "We'll be open until 10:00 PM, and we’d love nothing more than to raise one last pint with you before we close the doors at this location."

The announcement comes a little more than a week after the brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary at its last spot — 5646 Wales Ave. NW in Jackson Township.

Owner John Bikis was not immediately available for comment. He and his wife, Adriana, along with "the entire RDBCo. family" signed the Facebook announcement.

The couple founded the brewery in 2015 along with brewmaster Dave Sutula, who is no longer with the company.

"We want to say thank you to every person who made Royal Docks what it became," the owners said on Facebook. "From our incredible staff (past and present), friends, regulars, vendors, musicians, acts, food trucks, and local officials who helped bring our events to life… to everyone who believed in us, supported us, and walked through our doors — whether it was once or a hundred times — Thank You!"

The brewery's final hours are 4 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 18; 4 to 11 p.m. Sept. 19 and 20; and 4 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 21.

The business was set to be evicted on Sept. 22 by the landlord. Foxboro Fulton Center took the brewery to court on July 10 and demanded that Royal Docks pay about $28,409 in overdue rent or leave.

Royal Docks reached an agreement with the property owners to avoid immediate eviction, but Foxboro Fulton Center sought to continue the process a week later because the brewery had "... not performed pursuant to the terms of the agreed judgment entry ...."

James Zaffiro, the attorney representing Foxboro Fulton Center, previously declined to comment and did not respond to The Repository's most recent request for comment.

Andrew Gould, who invested in the company last year to help fund its expansion in Cleveland, also has an ongoing civil lawsuit against the owners.

“While the owners may be excited to run to the ‘next chapter,' they are leaving numerous former employees, local businesses and vendors unpaid," he said in a prepared statement. "We remain focused on holding them accountable in court.”

Royal Docks Brewing Co. opened with an Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 5, 2015, in the Marketplace of Nobles Pond. Within three hours, the nanobrewery sold more than 6,000 glasses of beer.

It debuted with just four brews — Sezon, Prodigal Sun, 67 Alaska and Docklands Porter. In the years that followed, Royal Docks' most well-known beers came to include Tanglefoot IPA, Backyard Crusher and Baba Yaga Coffee Porter.

"Tanglefoot IPA is probably our flagship beer, the one that's starting to put us on the map," Bikis told The Canton Repository in 2017.

The British-themed brewery added wine, cocktails and an expanded food menu by its first anniversary. Bikis and Sutula also began exploring equipment and locations to expand beer production in 2016, according to a past report. At the time, Royal Docks could produce 750 barrels per year in Jackson Township and also rented space from a Columbus brewery.

The Brewers Association trade group later ranked Royal Docks as the fifth fastest-growing small and independent craft brewery out of 50 nationwide — based on growth between 2016 and 2017. The brewery reported increasing its barrels per year from 1,002 to 3,700 in that time.

Three varieties of Royal Docks canned beer were first sold at regional supermarkets in 2017, and the canned offerings increased to 15 varieties by the following year. By mid-2018, Royal Docks had added a brewhouse and cannery at 5646 Wales Ave. NW, about a half mile from its brewpub.

In November 2019, Royal Docks opened a taproom and eatery at the Akron-Canton Airport. Then the Foeder House + Kitchen opened in June 2020 at Oakwood Square in Plain Township, followed by the Tied House + Kitchen in November 2024 in Cleveland.

“When we set out to open a location in Ohio City, we knew we needed the right partners that not only brought capital but could help us take things to the next level,” John Bikis said in a prepared statement that year. “We’re confident we’ve found those partners in Andrew and his team.”

Gould, who chairs Gouldram Holdings LLC and co-founded the North Canton-based Squirrels software company, provided two loans totaling about $1.15 million as an investor, according to court documents. He took 51% ownership of the company as part of the deal.

The Akron-Canton Airport, citing survey responses that showed a preference for coffee pre-security, replaced Royal Docks with Akron Coffee Roasters in the first half of 2024.

The Cleveland location closed in May 2025 after only about six months in operation. Then in June, both the original Royal Docks location at 7162 Fulton Drive NW and the Oakwood Square location closed.

That left only the Brewhouse & Cannery at 5646 Wales Ave. NW.

The company's Facebook page blamed the original Jackson Township location's closure on "an unexpected and deeply troubling legal dispute stemming from a failed business relationship with a prospective investor.”

On June 16, Gould filed a civil complaint against Royal Docks and John and Adriana Bikis in Stark County Common Pleas Court. It seeks to void the 2024 purchase agreement and recoup more than $1.1 million in loans, interest and damages.

"John Bikis fraudulently misrepresented the financial condition of Royal Docks by hiding the fact that Royal Docks was several quarters behind in paying sales tax, and that it was a practice of Royal Docks to default on sales taxes in order to seek a delay in their due date and a possible compromise by the Attorney General when the matter was turned over for collection," the complaint stated.

It also accused the Bikis couple of transferring funds from Royal Docks to pay for personal expenses, such as a Porsche, BMW and Tesla. According to the lawsuit, Royal Docks brought in Gouldram Holdings to take a controlling interest in the brewery because it was "in desperate financial trouble" and "routinely bounced checks, was arrears on its rent and was being sued by vendors."

Bikis said that Gould knew the sales tax payments were in arrears and called the claims about funding personal expenses "ridiculous."

“There's always multiple sides to a story," he told The Repository in June.

Stark County recorder and court records show a history of liens and civil cases, most of which have been resolved, from contractors and vendors seeking payment from Royal Docks. The Ohio Department of Taxation also filed several liens — totaling about $89,523 — between May and August against the brewery for outstanding sales tax.

Gould's civil complaint and the state tax lien cases remain open in Stark County Common Pleas Court.


17 September, 2025