Food and Drink

Charlotte’s oldest brewery is expanding — again. Here’s where and what to know

Charlotte’s oldest local brewer has a new taproom in the works.

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery has begun construction on its forthcoming location in Mount Holly, it said in a message shared on Instagram.

A customer samples the beer selection at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery.
A customer samples the beer selection at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. TODD SUMLIN tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com

“Overlooking the Catawba River and steps from downtown and the greenway, our third biergarten will be the perfect place to unwind with a cold one,” the brewery said.

The new taproom, which will be called OMB Riverview at Mt. Holly, will open at 725 Elm Street, the Charlotte Business Journal reported. The brewery broke ground at the site this week for the second time after facing cost increases and delays.

“This project has been a long time coming, so we couldn’t be more excited to be moving forward,” OMB founder John Marrino, told the outlet.

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Olde Mecklenburg Brewery owner John Marrino on Monday, November 9, 2020.
Olde Mecklenburg Brewery owner John Marrino on Monday, November 9, 2020. Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

The target opening date is September 2026.

The 9,000 square-foot space will feature a patio overlooking the river and walkway to the riverfront with “the ability to dock a boat or kayak,” COO Jim Birch told CharlotteFive. As far as beer, customers can expect OMB’s existing slate of brews plus a few “one-off” varieties when the taproom first opens.

OMB Riverview will join the brewery’s existing taprooms in Ballantyne and Lower South End, which opened in 2024 and 2014, respectively, CharlotteFive reported. Birch said the goal is to have four locations across the Charlotte area.

“The look and feel, design and aesthetic in many of our locations are similar, but the view looking out to the (Catawba) river I think is just gonna be spectacular,” Birch said.

OMB’s fourth and final taproom is coming to Cornelius, and development is already underway in Lake Norman with hopes to open by 2028, according to Birch.

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is expanding to Mt. Holly in 2026. Its award-winning Mecktoberfest beer is now available at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and at bottle shops around Charlotte.
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is expanding to Mt. Holly in 2026. Its award-winning Mecktoberfest beer is now available at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and at bottle shops around Charlotte. Courtesy of OMB

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Location: 725 Elm St, Mt Holly, NC 28120

Location: 15025 Bowl St, Charlotte, NC 28277 (Ballantyne)

Location: 4150 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217 (Lower South End)

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Instagram: @oldemeckbrew

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This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 10:18 AM.

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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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