USA, NC: New Anthem Beer Project opening second location in Wilmington

Wilmington’s South Front District has just added a brewery to its growing resume, The Port City Daily reported on May 2.

With Satellite Bar and Lounge and Benny’s Big Time Pizzaria on the same block, now, New Anthem Beer Project has announced plans to join the crew in opening its second location.

Occupying the former CAPPS Industrial Supply warehouse, New Anthem Beer Project will have room to play in the 15,000 square foot facility off South Front Street in downtown Wilmington.

Head brewer and owner Aaron Skiles said the new facility will let New Anthem plans to bring the “fun funky stuff” to the new building.

“We are going to make a production brewery, a barrel aging facility and another taproom on South Front,” Skiles said.

The second location for the Wilmington-based brewery, New Anthem’s flagship location is just over one mile away on Dock Street. When New Anthem Beer Project first opened in 2016, it had big plans to produce a range of brews.

“Originally when we started out we wanted to be this fermentation, funky little farmhouse brewery in downtown Wilmington,” Skiles said.

Skiles said since opening, his team has run out of room and the capacity to keep experimenting. “We’ve run out of space to do what we want to do,” he said.

Now, New Anthem Brewing Project has plans to host a 3,000 sq. ft. taproom and a large production brewery.

“It’s us, its New Anthem but we’re going to do some different things,” Skiles said. “I would really like to be able to do more local live musc, I think the additional space will allow us to do that.”

Though Tribute Companies will still own the property, New Anthem is playing a large role in the design and structure of renovating the facility.

Molly McDonough, spokesperson for Tribute Companies, said that between the former Capps Industrial Supply building and the Container Building, the South Front District is turning into a growing food and beverage haven.

The Container Building has booked tenants including 2nd Glass Wine Bar, Yoga Salt Studio, a “unique eyeglass boutique” and plans to host office space as well.

“It’s really just this beautiful eutopia of food and beverage that’s just emerging out of there,” McDonough said.

As for the 15,000 sq. ft. former industrial supplier, McDonough said Tribute Companies always had a brewery in the back of its mind.

“At one point it was going to be office space, at one point it was going to be retail, but i know in our heart of hearts we always secretly wanted a brewery,” McDonough said. “It just made sense in our heads.”

For now, Tribute Companies has not released an opening date for the new project.

03 May, 2018