How does it work, opening a brewery during COVID? For Charlotte’s Edge City, just fine
Edge City Brewery didn’t anticipate selling all of its growlers on its first day.
Actually, the brewery didn’t anticipate selling any growlers on its first day.
The brewery, which opened this past Thursday at 6629 Monroe Rd., planned to initially sell draft beers and bring growlers in later. But with statewide restrictions shutting down taprooms and on-premise consumption due to COVID-19, selling beer to-go was the brewery’s only option.
Edge City sold somewhere between 600-800 growlers on Thursday.
“We had an awesome first day,” said John Thomas, who opened the brewery with his brother Jared Thomas and business partner Mandii Green. “We ran through all of our growlers. As an alternative, we went with some 32-ounce Mason jars to get through the weekend.”
It wasn’t what the brewery had planned, but it did get them through the weekend. Thomas has since ordered “a few thousand” additional growlers that should be in stock prior to the brewery opening back up for business this Thursday. Going forward, the brewery plans to be open from 1-6 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.
The challenge of opening during coronavirus
Like every other area brewery, Edge City Brewery has had to pivot. While that has been challenging, the founders have remained positive and focused on what they can control with the taproom itself closed, such as applying final touches or working on the patio.
It has also allowed Jared more time to brew and build up Edge City’s inventory. Both John and Jared lived in Charlotte before moving to Asheville, a city with one of the nation’s best-known beer scenes. Jared interned at One World Brewing in Asheville, and when the two of them returned to Charlotte he also worked at Ass Clown Brewing in Cornelius.
“As much as we love Asheville, it’s been great to get back in the city,” said Thomas, who will oversee the brewery’s operations. “The beer scene here is super awesome. It’s been nice to come back to Charlotte.”
Edge City’s founders chose to build in an “underserved” area of Monroe Road, which some now refer to as MoRA. Many of the customers that came by for the opening weekend live in the immediate area, according to Thomas. “I would say probably half of the people that came out were either walking distance or a quick bike ride away,” Thomas said. “This whole area that we’re in, this neighborhood and this community, has been tremendous for us. We’ve seen so much support already.”
IPA, Berliner weisse, Pale ale and more
The brewery opened with 11 different beers on tap. Its three most popular beers from the opening weekend were Foggy Bottom Boi (a New England-style IPA), Hakuna Kumquata (a Berliner weisse brewed with local kumquats and strawberries) and Old Post Pale. Those and several new beers will be on tap when the brewery reopens this Thursday (check the brewery’s Instagram page for the next taplist).
Edge City has a three-barrel brewhouse, which means it brews only about 93 gallons of beer at a time. While the smaller brewhouse means Jared will need to brew more frequently to keep up with demand, it also offers the chance to brew a range of different styles.
“I think the goal is to not start too big, but to definitely have enough capacity to serve our community and have beer out of the taproom,” Thomas said. “It seems to be working out right now.”
The brewery will use the next few days to regroup, according to Thomas. And while it’s harder than ever to anticipate what the future looks like for any brewery, he’s optimistic about what’s to come.
“I can’t reiterate enough just how awesome it is and how ecstatic we are and grateful for the huge support and love we’ve seen,” Thomas said. “We’re excited to continue that, and when we do open and get back to normal just to have everyone experience the brewery. Until then, we’re excited to just be able to share some beer.”
This story was originally published April 19, 2020 at 5:48 PM.
