One in an occasional series of features on Charlotte area businesses, nonprofits, and events, and how they are adapting to the “new normal.”
Our Subject:Petty Thieves Brewing Co. is the long-fermenting dream of home brewer Ted Rosenau and his partner, Greg Calabria, whose 16-year obsession with creating unique and tasty beer came to life with the idea of a taproom “on the fringe.” Petty Thieves’ location just off North Graham Street at Dalton Avenue, situated centrally between NoDa, North End, Uptown, and Music Factory, was originally set to open in July.
What’s been impacted: When restaurants, bars, and breweries were first told to close because of COVID-19, Petty Thieves Brewery was still under construction – but work still came to a standstill when banks froze their accounts. Since the company was brand new, owners Rosenau and Calabria didn’t have access to PPP funds, yet they couldn’t access their own equity to pay subcontractors to continue working.
“We had to do some renegotiations with the bank and the landlord,” says Rosenau. “Both were kind of painful.”
Innovative pivot: Rosenau and friends switched into DIY mode while they waited for banks to free up their money, doing work themselves where they could. Knowing outdoor venues had more flexibility, they looked ahead and planned for 2,500 square feet of patio space, while still building the interior taproom big enough to still make money at 50% capacity. Doors opened mid-September, which was only two months later than originally planned.
Reactions: “It’s been really good,” says Rosenau. “People are slowly starting to find us.” Their location, just across from the fire department headquarters, makes their taproom visible to passers-by, and their spectacular view of the Uptown Charlotte skyline is a pleasant place to stop. Word is getting around.
“People who knew about our brewing the last few years are stopping in to see it,” says Rosenau, “and new people are hearing about us, too. We’re fully in growth mode.” Brewer Ryan Walsh is cooking up the recipes.
The ample patio allows customers to have plenty of space between groups, and Rosenau says patrons have been pretty good at policing themselves responsibly. Fencing around the entire patio will eventually make it a good place for parents to feel comfortable bringing their children for social outings.
“People comment that they really enjoy the space that we’ve built and feel comfortable there,” he adds.
Forecast for the future: Petty Thieves Brewing Co. is working on its visibility, even adding a giant silo to its patio to get attention. The delay in opening their doors, and the customer capacity limits, also forced them to do one thing sooner than planned: sell their beer in containers to be consumed off-site. COVID-19 added another wrinkle here, because cans were even harder to find — but they persisted and made it happen.
Still, their focus is on growth, as the owners learn to transition from building a brewery — their strength — to running one.
And the name? Yeah, it refers to the wisdom they’ve collected – er, stolen? — over the years. Rosenau explains the idea came from Picasso, who said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Here’s to great beer as a work of art!
Sit a spell: 413 Dalton Ave or https://www.pettythievesbrewing.com/