A new brewery will feature classic beers. Mini road trip: It’s just out of Charlotte.
Cross the border into South Carolina and you’ll find breweries in Fort Mill, Indian Land, Lake Wylie, Lancaster and Rock Hill.
The small suburb of Tega Cay, though, hasn’t had a brewery to call its own — until now. The community, located on Lake Wylie and west of Fort Mill, will get its first brewery when Model A Brewing opens this fall. The brewpub recently broke ground at 1177 Stonecrest Blvd., near the Walmart and Graystone Crossing shopping center.
Most of the ownership group behind the project live in Tega Cay. Jeremy DeWitt, who has been in the restaurant industry for 26 years, lives off the same street as Brad O’Connor, who will be the brewpub’s head brewer.
They have shared many a beer together, but a visit to even their closest brewery in Fort Mill could take as long as 25 minutes, depending on traffic. It was important for them that the brewery be located in Tega Cay — and a bonus if they could drive their golf carts there.
“We’re five guys that really genuinely enjoy hanging out, drinking beer and being friends, but from day one it’s been about Brad to me,” DeWitt said. “From day one, I’ve just wanted to give him a platform and be able to support him and get that beer out in our community.”
Building in Tega Cay
While many breweries look for industrial space, there’s just not much of it in Tega Cay. Some restaurant properties were available, but DeWitt didn’t want to limit the team to an existing floor plan.
They decided to build from the ground up, in partnership with Stonecrest Ventures.
“For us to do it ground up was a little out of necessity and a little bit out of desire,” DeWitt said. “But it also gives us the ability to really define what we want it to look like and how we want it to flow.”
The brewery is named after the Ford Model A, a popular choice for those running moonshine during prohibition. Expect that prohibition theme to extend through to the décor — eventual plans call for an actual Model A inside the brewpub.
There will be a circular, 50-foot bar inside the 2,900-square-foot brewpub. The patio offers another 3,000 square feet that will look into the seven-barrel brewhouse.
The beer
O’Connor has been a homebrewer for 13 years and is currently the president of the Upper Palmetto Zymurgy Society homebrew club. The brewpub’s initial taplist is still being discussed, but expect a focus on the classics.
“I like to brew classic styles,” O’Connor said. “Anybody who is passionate about craft beer and really wants to check out a brewer will go in and ask for a pilsner. You can really tell whether a brewer is of quality or not of quality by tasting their simple, clean beers.”
That means you will find O’Connor’s award-winning altbier from day one. The brewpub won’t focus only on classic styles, however. O’Connor enjoys brewing seasonal fruit beers, and he’s even recently tried his hand at a hard seltzer. He will also rely on community feedback and sales to determine what to brew.
“I’m an IT guy at heart that also loves to brew,” O’Connor said. “So we’re going to take the data and the analytics and see what moves. We’re going to use the data to see what people want, but at the same time I’m going to experiment because that’s what I do. I’m at times a mad scientist with beers, so there will be some funky stuff that goes on tap.”
O’Connor will be joined in the brewhouse by an assistant brewer who he says has a “complementary skillset.” And just because O’Connor is going pro, that doesn’t mean he’ll shy away from his homebrew roots. In fact, he plans to dedicate one of Model A’s 16 taps to the scaled-up recipes of local homebrewers.
The food
As for the food, DeWitt said a desire to focus on handhelds and shareable items led them to one place.
“You kind of begin and end with tacos,” he said.
DeWitt worked with a friend who writes menus for Emeril Lagasse to build recipes that incorporate fresh ingredients in a fun way, with the ability to also substitute gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian alternatives (smoked jackfruit, for example, in lieu of barbecue).
All of the owners either have children or are expecting, so it was also important for them to offer healthy and tasty options outside of the standard kids’ menu fare of chicken fingers, pizza and mac and cheese.
In the months to come, DeWitt and O’Connor will continue to work on the brewpub’s menu and taplist — but DeWitt’s experience in the industry has taught him that the most critical aspect of the business will be in how it serves its customers and its community.
“Brad’s beer is going to bring them there,” DeWitt said. “The brand new brewery is going to bring people there, the location and the convenience. But it’s going to be the service and the way that makes them feel that brings them back.”
Model A Brewing
1177 Stonecrest Blvd., Tega Cay, SC
Instagram: @model_a_brewing
