The ‘Harris Teeter Beer Guy’ opened his own bottle shop and taproom
Kit Burkholder loves teaching people about beer. He did it for years at the bar inside the Ballantyne Harris Teeter, and now he plans to do it full-time as general manager of a new bottle shop and tap room in downtown Pineville called Kit’s Trackside Crafts.
“The beer world can be intimidating. If you don’t know what a rauchbier or a saison is, that’s OK. That’s what we’re here for,” Burkholder said. “If you can leave here just a little bit more knowledgeable about your own palate, we’ve accomplished our task for today.”
Owned by Kit’s father, Bill Burkholder, and business partner Le Ann Fenton, the shop is located at 330 Main St., the former location of Prineville Pharmacy and Blankenship Feed and Seed. It celebrated its grand opening last week.
The Burkholders and Fenton have made big changes to the circa-1912 building — installing a huge walnut bar and dozens of shelves to house the shop’s 300 different varieties of bottled beer. But features like exposed brick and the original ceiling (enhanced with more walnut support beams) maintain the location’s original charm.
In addition to all the bottles, customers at Kit’s can enjoy a cold drink from one of the 24 taps, which also feature wine, cider and a non-alcoholic option like Lenny Boy kombucha. Sit and have a drink at the bar, or take a six-pack to go.
Kit Burkholder wants to bring customers classics and new favorites from both local and national breweries. You’ll find staples like The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Dunkel and unique flavors like Ballast Point’s Red Velvet Stout.
But don’t be afraid you won’t find your go-to style of beer on tap. He’s reserved eight taps for specific styles of beer: stout, pilsner, sour, etc.
Not sure what you like? Kit Burkholder and his staff can help you figure it out. As one of the area’s growing ranks of Certified Cicerones (it’s like a sommelier for beer), he has unique insight into finding the perfect brew for every customer. And he hand-picked his staff to make sure they know their stuff, too.
He hopes to benefit from and add to the success of Pintville, a bar and bottle shop across the street.
“Their continued success shows this area is thirsty — pardon the pun — for craft beer,” Kit Burkholder said. “What this area is doing and the growth they’re experiencing is unbelievable.”
Kit and his staff will also serve upscale bar fare like hummus, chicken satay and Asian noodle salad from the Community Culinary School of Charlotte, a non-profit organization that teaches culinary classes to at-risk adults.
Insider tip: Try the seven-layer dessert bars that feature chocolate chips, coconut, toffee and lots more. Kit Burkholder describes them as “insane.”
Ultimately, he hopes to cultivate the vibe of a fun place to sit and try something new alongside other people who love tasty craft beer.
“We have a saying: ‘Beer people are good people.’ And by and large that’s the truth,” Kit Burkholder said. “When you sit down next to people of all backgrounds and walks of life and have a beer, you open up the lines of communication.”
Kit’s Trackside Crafts
330 Main St., Pineville. Instagram. Twitter. Facebook.
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday.
Photos: Sarah Pryor
This story was originally published November 29, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "The ‘Harris Teeter Beer Guy’ opened his own bottle shop and taproom."