Bulldog Beer and Wine is opening soon in South End. Here’s what you need to know
Bulldog Beer and Wine will soon open its second Charlotte location in South End, in the shadow of the uptown skyline and just around the corner from Wooden Robot Brewery.
Owner Rob Johnson, who opened the Dilworth location three years ago and previously had a shop in Boone, showed me around the new location on Winnifred Street yesterday.
Quick facts
– Johnson hopes to open in early December. All of the finishing touches might not be in place, but he wants to be selling and pouring beer and wine by then. Check the Facebook page for updates.
– The space is about 4,700 square feet, much larger than the original location (about 1,700 square feet).
– Half of the store will be a retail shop, with more than 100 different beers in six packs and a large wine selection. There will also eventually be a section with homebrew supplies and “urban necessities” — think dog food, toilet paper, laundry detergent. You know, for when you’d rather go to a beer shop than the grocery store. (For me, that’s all of the time. Grocery stores stress me out, but that’s a story for another time.)
– The other half will be a bar with 20 taps and wine by the glass, and two 50-inch TVs for watching the sports.
– Johnson is a Charlotte native. The store got its name for two reasons: He went to college at Georgia and owns four bulldogs.
– Hours (tentative): 2-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 2-11 p.m. Thursday; noon-midnight Friday-Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday.
The vibe
In one word: Comfortable. If you’ve been to the Dilworth location, you know what to expect.
“I’m going to build a place that I want to be at,” Johnson said. “My perfect place.”
He hopes to have weekly runs and bike rides, food trucks, trivia and live music.
Old Wild Turkey bourbon barrels will serve as tables.
The wood on the front of the bar and in parts of the retail area comes from a 70-year-old barn in Concord that Johnson bought and stripped down.
One of the best aspects of the location may be what you see when you step out the front door, maybe to sit on the patio and share a bottle of wine.
A drink with a view. (Just ignore the power lines.)
Bulldog Beer and Wine, 1434 Winnifred St., Charlotte. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.
Photos: Corey Inscoe
This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bulldog Beer and Wine is opening soon in South End. Here’s what you need to know."