Charlotte airport drops Sycamore Brewing as co-founder faces child rape charges
Sycamore Brewing is being booted out of Charlotte’s airport after its co-founder was arrested Dec. 11 on charges of statutory rape involving a 13-year-old girl and breaking into her home.
Justin Tawse Brigham, 44, faces multiple felonies for the Dec. 10 incident. Major grocery store chains such as Food Lion, as well as bars across the city and North Carolina, have pulled Sycamore beers in the aftermath of the arrest.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the latest location to take action against the Charlotte brewery. The Sycamore taproom and restaurant in the Terminal E extension is no longer listed on the airport’s website.
“The Concourse E restaurant is transitioning to a new concept,” the airport stated. “The details are still being finalized, and the location will remain open to passengers during the transition.”
A Charlotte Douglas spokesperson said that the decision was made by concessionaire HMSHost, not the airport. HMSHost manages and operates the food and beverage locations and holds the licensing agreement with brands like Sycamore Brewing for use in the airport.
CLT airport did not provide additional information.
Sycamore opened at the airport in November 2022, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Sycamore continues to operate in South End.
A Sycamore representative did not respond to requests for comment regarding the airport’s decision as of Tuesday morning.
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Sycamore co-founder faces additional charges
Brigham was charged last Thursday, Dec. 11, with statutory rape of a child, indecent liberties with a child, and first-degree burglary.
Six more criminal charges were filed in court on Monday, the Observer has reported, including felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury. The complaint alleges that he assaulted a man on Dec. 10 by grabbing and twisting the man’s genitals, causing extreme pain.
Five other felony charges are related to allegations of sexual crimes involving a minor, including three additional counts of statutory sexual offense with a child.
According to police warrants, Brigham broke into a house in Stanfield and sexually assaulted the teenager on Dec. 10. Stanfield is about 45 minutes east of Charlotte.
Brigham reportedly met the victim online a couple of weeks ago, Stanly County Sheriff Jeff Crisco said at a news conference last Friday. Brigham allegedly used Snapchat and text messages to communicate, according to court records.
Brigham is being held without bond in the Stanly County Detention Center.
Brigham also had been co-owner of the brewery with his wife, brewery co-founder Sarah Taylor. After the arrest, Taylor announced on social media that she had divested all of Brigham’s interest in the business.
“I am devastated by the charges against Justin and the pain this has inflicted on our family and others. Effective immediately, I am assuming full leadership of the company,” she said.
More on Sycamore Brewing
Taylor and Brigham started the business in 2013, according to its website. Sycamore has more than 20 distributor partners and sells beers to retailers in seven states. The information had been removed from the website by Friday afternoon.
In 2023, Sycamore closed its original location at 2161 Hawkins St. in Charlotte, and moved to 2151 Hawkins St.
The brewery anchors The Line, a 16-story office building. The 21,000-square-foot space includes a taproom, beer garden, Airstream food truck, and café coffee shop, according to Sycamore’s website.
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 12:18 PM.
