CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The parking lot of Weathered Souls was full Saturday, but for the last time.
After significant financial struggles, Charlotte’s first black-owned brewery has closed its doors.
Staff announced the final decision on social media and asked current patrons to spend a few more hours with them before they said goodbye. In December, the owners agreed to close the kitchen but keep the taproom open, hoping to save money.
The San Antonio-based brewery opened its Charlotte taproom in November 2022.
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It’s estimated that black business owners make up less than 1% of craft brewery owners in the United States, according to a 2019 survey from the Brewers Association.
“The bottom line is, I think I just worry that we let people down,” said co-owner Mike Holt. “You know, there’s a lot of expectations on this. We understood that. And that’s the disappointing part. You know, the financial and personal losses are one thing. You know, you’re in business. You have to expect that. But to do something, I think that people that that’s meaningful, I think is tough to accept.”
The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild says out of 420 breweries, there have been eight closures this year, 34 new breweries opened last year, and 10 opened in the first three months of 2024.
“For black-owned breweries, there’s also a new association, the National Black Brewers Association, that’s started with one of their main goals, trying to increase ownership of black-owned breweries,” said Dr. Bart Watson, chief economist with the Brewers Association. “So, we’re seeing some progress. And I think that’s one thing that will help breweries overall. More diverse ownership means more diverse offerings, and hopefully, that will attract new beer lovers to the beer market.”
Weathered Souls planned to close at seven, but Holt says they want to sell every last drop of their craft beer.
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