Gastonia brewery was ‘second home’ to locals. Then it suddenly closed. What now?
Cavendish Brewing Company is closing up shop.
The business, which once touted itself “Gastonia’s first and only local brewery,” hosted a final farewell Wednesday, Jan. 7, and was officially shuttered Jan. 8, the Gaston Gazette first reported.
Sugar Creek Brewing Company is set to take it over, owner Scott Cavendish told the newspaper, though it’s unclear when the brewery will reopen under the new brand.
CharlotteFive reached out to Sugar Creek Brewing for more information but didn’t hear back.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Business Journal reported that Sugar Creek Brewing and restaurant industry veteran Martin Sprock teamed up to purchase the 2.75-acre site in Gaston County for $2 million. Plans call for a new Sugar Creek location, along with a barbecue restaurant called Dixon’s and production facilities, brewery co-founder Eric Flanigan told the outlet.
Charlotte Prunet, a former taproom manager at Cavendish Brewing, confirmed to CharlotteFive on Thursday that Sugar Creek Brewing had purchased the land and brewery from Cavendish.
“There had been rumors going around for months that he (Cavendish) was selling, but we didn’t know to whom or what that would look like,” Prunet said in a phone interview.
The abrupt move came a day after Cavendish shared news of his retirement and invited the community to celebrate his final farewell at the brewery.
“It’s been real. It’s been fun. It’s been real fun!” he wrote in a now-deleted message shared on the business’s Facebook page. “Come stop by and give me a high five before I head out into the sunset! I love you all. Thank you for supporting my small business these last 10 years.”
The morning after, Prunet said she and roughly a dozen other employees learned they were out of a job.
So what’s next? The shuttered brewery will undergo repairs and renovations before eventually reopening as Sugar Creek Brewing.
“We’re not sure if (Sugar Creek) is going to reach out to previous staff to be employed,” Prunet said, adding that Cavendish has encouraged the new owners to rehire the former workers. “We were hoping there would be little change ... but it ended up being an official turnover.”
News of Cavendish Brewery’s closure came as a shock to employees and local residents who often gathered at the hangout “when they needed some love and support, a hug after a bad day” or just heartfelt advice, Prunet said.
“Over the practically 8 years I worked at Cavendish, I watched that place become a second home to so many people of the community,” she told CharlotteFive.
As the transition gets underway, Prunet said she hopes the new owners will continue to build on what Cavendish had created.
“Please, if you can, bring as much of the staff back and try to keep our vibe,” Prunet said. “The community will come back, rebuild and find our second home once again.”
Cavendish Brewing Company
Location: 207 N Chester St, Gastonia, NC 28052 (permanently closed)
Cuisine: Beer + light bites
Instagram: @cavendish_brewing
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 9:53 AM.