A new dog-friendly, Carolinas-focused craft beer store plans to open in South End next month
Pop the Top Craft Beer Shop’s logo prominently features a big black Labrador retriever, but it’s not just because owners Ketan and Kathy Patel think people like dogs and that will help them sell beer. That dog is Louie, the Patels’ late black lab who would have turned 11 last year.
“The logo is very important to us,” Ketan Patel said. “He was just kind of, really, a steady force. … We got him as a puppy and he’s always been there. … I wanted to have something to, kind of, memorialize him … and (be) a constant reminder that he’s not gone, he’s still with us, and hopefully we can share the story with other people.”
Pop the Top plans to open late April or early May in South End’s Camden Gallery, near the corner of Camden Road and West Boulevard. And husband-and-wife co-owners Ketan and Kathy Patel hope to make it as dog-friendly and locally-focused as possible.
Pop the Top plans to almost exclusively feature products from the Carolinas, including beer and cider, kombucha (Lenny Boy and Buchi from Asheville), grab-and-go food from New Wrap Order food truck, locally-made pimiento cheese and other dips, Blenheim Ginger Ale from South Carolina, Sun Drop, Cheerwine and even some N.C. wines.
“Our focus is really on regional stuff, and N.C. and S.C. stuff,” Ketan said. “We really want to highlight and show the things that we’ve got going on here in the two states. I think South Carolina gets lost sometimes. … We need to bring those guys up, too, because they’re doing amazing things down there.”
The 1,250 square-foot shop, next to Ultra Running Co. and in the same complex as Blue Hem and Blaze Pizza, was a work-in-progress when I visited Ketan last week. Here’s his vision for the space:
– A retail section when you first walk in, with two rows of shelves and shelving along the wall, plus a four-door cooler full of beer and other beverages. There will be a separate three-door cooler for food.
– A small tasting bar with six seats and 24 taps. The taps will be mostly beer, but one will be reserved for cider and another one or two for kombucha.
– A small coffee-shop-style indoor lounge with couches and comfy chairs that fits about 15-20 people.
– A patio that will have more seating than inside (about 25 people) with tables, umbrellas, outdoor games like cornhole, and outdoor plugs so you can charge your laptop/phone/iPad/whatever if you’re working and drinking.
Here’s the floorplan, with West Boulevard running along the top of the image:
Ketan, who did the corporate thing for 13 years before deciding to join the craft beer world, wants to make sure the space is as pet-friendly as possible. The patio will definitely be open to dogs, and he’s hoping to get the permitting worked out to allow dogs inside, too. Pop the Top will also have treats and toys for dogs from places like Canine Cafe in Charlotte.
And there will be a few more surprises when the shop does open, including a huge mural by a local artist that Ketan is keeping secret for now.
“It’s a place I know I’d love to hang out at,” Ketan said. “I love beer.”
Pop the Top: 1750 Camden Road, Suite A. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter.
Hours (subject to change):
Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday: noon-7 p.m.
Photos: Corey Inscoe
This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 1:01 AM with the headline "A new dog-friendly, Carolinas-focused craft beer store plans to open in South End next month."