Weathered Souls brewery recently expanded to Charlotte. Now it’s up for sale

Thirteen months after its anticipated expansion to Charlotte, Weathered Souls brewery is up for sale.

When the San Antonio, Texas, brewery opened in November 2022 at 255 Clanton Road in lower South End, it was the first Black-owned brewery in Charlotte in over three years.

The Charlotte Brewery celebrated its one-year anniversary at the 10,000-square-foot South End site on Nov. 11.

But five days later, Weathered Souls was listed on Business of Craft Beer’s Facebook page for sale: “Turnkey brewery with full, never used brewhouse, located in SouthEnd Charlotte. Extensive interior space, existing liquor permit, full kitchen, two separate bars inside, room for outdoor space, and right along the light rail.”

The owners are looking to “recoup what they can.” Price: $850,000 or best offer.

Weathered Souls has nearly eight years left on its lease, according to the Facebook post.

In September, a separate post on the same Facebook page said Weathered Souls was selling the full majority stake for $1.9 million in both San Antonio and Charlotte, calling it “One of the country’s most recognizable brands.”

Owner Marcus Baskerville, who is Black, is head brewer, and Weathered Souls’ co-owner Mike Holt largely oversee the finances. Weathered Souls’ first brewery opened seven years ago in Texas.

Holt confirmed Thursday that the brewery is available for investment or sale.

“Our goal is recapitalization. We’re pretty hopeful we’re finding a solution,” he said, adding that negotiations are underway. He declined to provide additional details.

Weathered Souls remains open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

It’s about more than beer

Weathered Souls, which also has a kitchen and a private rental room in Charlotte, has fostered diversity and inclusivity in the craft brew industry.

Less than 1% of the nearly 8,500 craft breweries in America are Black-owned, according to a 2019 Brewers Association survey.

Weathered Souls provided its stout recipe in partnership with breweries nationwide, including over a dozen in Charlotte, for its “Black Is Beautiful” campaign. The initiative raised $2.2 million to support racial justice causes in the first year after launching in 2020.

The Charlotte brewery also has supported other Black businesses and artists, and created the Harriet Baskerville Incubation Program. Named for Baskerville’s grandmother, the program helps underrepresented groups in the craft beer industry.

The craft brew industry in Charlotte

The Charlotte region has grown to support more than 75 craft brewers over the past decade.

But Weathered Souls isn’t the only brewery that’s struggling.

Several local breweries have either closed individual locations or shut down completely this year. Catawba Brewing Co. closed in August at 933 Louise Ave. in the Belmont neighborhood after six years. D9 Brewing Co. closed its uptown location in March after opening in 2021. Dust Off Brewing Co. closed after five years at West White Street in Rock Hill.

However, other breweries have expanded this year and more are expected to make their debut early next year.

In May, Sycamore Brewing closed its original 2161 Hawkins St. spot to open nearby at 2151 Hawkins St. in a two-story, 10,000-square-foot location that includes a coffee shop, kitchen, beer garden and patio.

Also in May, Suffolk Punch opened a second taproom at SouthPark mall.

In September, Panzu’ Brewery opened with a Caribbean vibe at 7251 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. In August, Protagonist Beer said it would close its four-year-old location in NoDa to open in a larger, two-story space at The Joinery near Optimist Hall.

Atlanta-based Hippin’ Hopps Brewery & Distillery expects to open next month in the former D9 Brewing space uptown at 650 E. Brooklyn Village Ave, co-owner Clarence Boston told The Charlotte Observer. Another Brewery — co-owned by Boston and Orlando Botero — also expects to debut early next year at 2509 N. Davidson St.

Triple C Brewing Co. director of sales Ryan Self said as the market matures when customers have a lot of choices, just like any industry, “you’re going to see some shake out.”

A closing doesn’t mean the brewery made bad beer or were bad business people, Self said, but could be related to other factors such as lease issues.

“We don’t think the market is saturated at all,” said Self, who has almost 15 years in the brewery industry in Charlotte. “It’s more important than ever to make sure you’re buying a local product right here in Charlotte.”

Triple C opened 11 years ago. It’s at 2900 Griffith St. in South End.

“If you’re doing something interesting, you’re making a great product, you treat your customers well, I believe there’s still plenty of room for many, many more breweries in Charlotte,” he said.

Breweries that are opening are better equipped and planned for a more mature market, said Aaron Gore, a craft beer industry consultant in Charlotte. He said plenty of Charlotte neighborhoods and surrounding areas don’t have a local brewery.

“So there’s opportunity there for the right people,” Gore said. “After all, breweries are more than just places that make beer. They are community centers (and) event centers.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 12:27 PM.