NoDa Brewing Co.’s new location opens in Charlotte’s North End today. Look inside

When Todd and Suzie Ford opened NoDa Brewing Co. in 2011, they located in the NoDa neighborhood because they felt a connection with Charlotte’s art district. Suzie often emphasizes the artistic side of brewing, likening the raw ingredients they work with – hops, barley, water and yeast – to an artist’s paints.

When they decided to build their second brewery at 2921 N. Tryon St., it wasn’t necessarily due to the charm of the surrounding neighborhood. The building is just a little more than a mile from the original location, but in some ways it feels a world away.

Gone are the bars, restaurants, coffee shops and galleries that call NoDa home, replaced with garages, auto body shops and small strip malls. The Fords think their brewery, as well as other new businesses to come, can bring new life to the neighborhood.

“We’ve already seen that over here,” Suzie said. “The city has a vision for this area, officially calling it North End now. They’re really trying to develop it.”

You can see the new space today. It opens 4 p.m. for its Pink Pint Night fundraiser.

But what the North Tryon building really offers – and what the Fords have so desperately needed in recent years – is space.

Some numbers:

– At 32,000 square feet, it has almost three times the space of the original location.

– The building’s ceiling is tall enough to support the new 240-barrel fermenters and brite tanks, which dwarf the 60-barrel tanks at the old facility.

– A new canning line capable of 141 cans a minute (compared to 32 per minute previously) will help them get more of their beer to market.

Construction started in April, and the Fords have taken great care to ensure the new building contains the same feel as the old one, while still retaining much of the building’s own character (it previously housed a roofing company, but before that was home to a vinegar plant).

Inside the taproom, which is about double the size of the original one, bright green and orange walls provide some contrast against the old weathered white brick. The building’s original windows remain, giving the area plenty of natural light.

Visitors can sit at the bar, made from the wood reclaimed from the second and third floors in what is now the brewhouse area, at church pews or in a lounge-style area with couches and coffee tables.

Outside, there’s a huge patio space made with brick from the building and a service window so you don’t even have to go inside to get another Jam Session in the summer.

At the main entrance, a mural of a tulip glass created by Matt Hooker and Matt Moore greets visitors.

Beside the bar, another mural features all of the brewery’s current employees (and brew dogs) and painted by the restrooms is the pair of hula dancers that graces the brewery’s cans of Coco Loco Porter. Both were painted by Carla Garrison-Mattos.

The popular NoDa Run Club will stay at the original location, where the brewery also plans to hold private events and brew specialty beer, like barrel-aged brews.

Details: 

– New location: 2921 N. Tryon St., Charlotte

– Hours: 4-8:30 p.m. weekdays, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays, 1-6 p.m. Sundays.

Photos: Corey Inscoe

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 12:30 AM with the headline "NoDa Brewing Co.’s new location opens in Charlotte’s North End today. Look inside."