Why a Charlotte brewery owner is opening a second pizza place in the region
A Charlotte pizza shop is expanding to Concord, leaving only one food hall spot available at Gibson Mill Market.
Livy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria joins a growing list of food hall vendors at Gibson Mill Market in Concord. The food market is expected to open this summer. Livy’s will open in August or September, Livy’s owner Kurt Hogan told the Observer on Friday.
Livy’s first shop opened in August 2020 at 1030 Woodward Ave. inside Heist Brewery Barrel Arts near Camp North End in Charlotte.
Hogan, who is the CEO and founder of the brewery, said he always intended to own a brewpub slinging pizzas. But his first venture Heist Brewery, which opened 10 years ago in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood, expanded into a longer menu, more cocktails and adding event space.
“Barrel Arts goes back to the idea of where it started with a simple pizzeria,” Hogan said.
And now, Livy’s, named for his 3-year-old daughter, is another spin-off.
“I want it to be its own thing,” he said, separate from the brewery. Heist beers won’t be available at the food stall but will be available at the bar at the market, Hogan said.
A self-described pizza lover, Hogan said all along he’s planned to open at least two Livy’s locations. And, opening in a 625-square-foot food stall at Gibson Mill Market is the best next step for expanding beyond Charlotte.
The pizza with a thin crust is baked in a 900-degree brick oven to create a crispy but doughy char-flavored crust. The tomatoes are imported from Italy, he said, and he uses a lot of Italian seasonings.
“The dough and the texture really set it off,” he said.
Vendors at Gibson Mill Market
Livy’s will be one of about a dozen vendors at the 17,000-square-foot Gibson Mill Market.
Other food hall vendors expected to open this summer, according to the market’s website, are: Barcos Raw Bar, Cara’s Cookie Co., Churn Buddies, Defined Coffee, Johnny Rogers BBQ & Burgers, Kuni’s Kitchen, The Market Bar and Taco Street.
The market is looking for one more tenant that’s “a salad, charcuterie or other health-food based restaurant or cafe,” according to Gibson Mill Market’s Facebook page.
About Gibson Mill
Gibson Manufacturing Co. was founded by James Cannon and R.E. Gibson in 1899. The mill manufactured yarns, gingham and madras fabric, plus dress goods before making towels and sheets from the 1930s through the 1970s.
The mill closed in 2003. A year later, Southpaw Investors reopened it for retail and office space.
The food hall is in the 34,500-square-foot weaving room, according to the market website.
The first tenants at the former mill opened last summer at the 123-year-old site at 325 McGill Ave. NW: High Branch Brewing in a 5,400-square-foot space and Luck Factory Games, a cafe that includes more than 1,000 board games.
Other food and drink vendors at the complex are Ellie’s Diner and Cabarrus Brewing Company, according to Gibson Mill Market.
The 656,000-square-foot site on 48 acres sees over 1,000 visitors daily, according to the market.