Bye bye breweries: The list keeps growing of Charlotte breweries closing in 2024
With over 70 breweries around the area, it’s no secret that Charlotte is a big beer city.
But this year, the city has said goodbye to several breweries and taprooms across the area— including two fan-favorites closing their doors for good this week.
Nearly a year after opening, Charleston-based Frothy Beard Brewing Company is shutting down its South End location on July 28.
“Well, it was a hard business decision that after almost a year we realized that the location wasn’t a good fit for us,” owner Michael Biondi told CharlotteFive. “We could have pivoted to something that was off brand for us but we thought it just best to stop while we could and refocus and maybe one day in the future look for a third location.”
Biondi shared that the team wanted to build out a full kitchen, but “the cost was just too high in that space for us to successfully continue the way we wanted to.”
“As of right now, we do not have any plans to reopen in the local Charlotte area. We have seen a large amount of breweries in the Charlotte area close since we opened up in South Graham and that does say a lot about the area, beyond population studies,” Biondi said.
This week also marks the end of an era for Devil’s Logic Brewery, which opened about five years ago. The brewery — nestled on the edge of the Cherry and Elizabeth neighborhoods — is closing on July 26.
“We’d like to thank Charlotte and the surrounding communities for five great years. I can’t thank our staff enough for putting in the hard work and the wonderful patrons for supporting us,” Greg Grueneich, Devil’s Logic co-owner, told CharlotteFive. It’s all for sale, Grueneich said — the brand, the building, the equipment.
“We’re looking for possibilities to reorganize at Devil’s Logic — but if this is it, this is it, so either way, we’d love to share a pint with you before we close Friday night.”
“Drink fresh, or go to hell,” he added, citing the brewery’s slogan.
Jenny Sassman Waters, executive director of Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance, acknowledged the closures in a statement to CharlotteFive and their impact on the brewing community.
“Our thoughts are with the employees and stakeholders affected by these closures. However, it’s important to recognize that the closure of a few breweries does not diminish the vibrancy and resilience of the Charlotte beer scene as a whole. Brewery closures sometimes involve more than meets the eye and should not be an indication that our local industry is struggling or oversaturated,” Waters said.
“With a diverse array of breweries continuing to thrive and innovate, Charlotte remains a hub for craft beer enthusiasts and a testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship in our city. We encourage Charlotteans to continue supporting their local breweries, whether they’ve been established for years or are just starting out. Together, we can ensure that the Charlotte beer scene not only endures but continues to flourish, offering unique and exciting experiences for residents and visitors alike.”
A growing list of brewery closures
Of the nearly 50 food and drink spots that have closed this year, Devil’s Logic and Frothy Beard mark the fifth and sixth brewery closures in six months. Here’s a look at the other local breweries and taprooms that are no longer open and why:
Blue Blaze Brewing
Location: 528 S Turner Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208
After eight years in West Charlotte, Blue Blaze Brewing closed in March after a long dispute over rent prices — with plans to hopefully reopen in a new location. “We very much wish that our place here could have continued to be available to us into the future,” managing partner Craig Nunn previously wrote in a letter to customers. “We’ve completed this thru-hike and now we’ll move on to our next thru- on another long trail, and hope you’ll join us.”
The Dreamchaser’s Brewery
Location: 115 E North Main St, Waxhaw, NC 28173
Beer lovers in Waxhaw said goodbye to The Dreamchaser’s Brewery in March when the team announced that “due to forces out of our control our journey has come to an end.” Now the space once home to the brewery that opened in 2016 has been taken over by Middle James Brewing Company.
Midnight Mulligan Brewing
Location: 2215 Thrift Road, Unit A, Charlotte, NC 28208
Midnight Mulligan Brewing quietly closed after shutting down its Instagram and website. Though there was never a public announcement as to why the team closed the brewery, its Facebook page is still up, but hasn’t been updated since last summer.
Weathered Souls
Location: 255 Clanton Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Texas-based Weathered Souls permanently shut down its South End space in April — about a year and a half after opening. “In a nutshell, I think we just ran out of time … We didn’t have the capital to continue onto better times, which we know are coming with neighborhood development right around the corner,” co-owner Mike Holt previously told CharlotteFive.
Alex Cason contributed reporting.
Uniquely Charlotte: Uniquely Charlotte is an Observer subscriber collection of moments, landmarks and personalities that define the uniqueness (and pride) of why we live in the Charlotte region.
This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Bye bye breweries: The list keeps growing of Charlotte breweries closing in 2024."
.jpg)