USA, NC: Sanctuary Brewing Company to close in June, Oklawaha Brewing Company to open in its place

Sanctuary Brewing Company announced May 14 plans to close via a press release from owner Lisa McDonald.

Sanctuary will close in June and another brewery, Oklawaha Brewing Company, will open in its place, the release said. Oklahawa will be headed by Sanctuary Brewing co-owner and head brewer Joe Dinan.

Dinan plans to continue offering to-go beer at the brewery space, at 147 1st Ave. E., during the transition.

Meanwhile, Dinan will make a few physical changes to the brewery, with taproom reopening to coincide with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants.

McDonald closed the doors to Inconceivable Cafe, a vegan restaurant formerly located in the 1st Avenue space, in late March.

She said she's on the hunt for a new space for Sanctuary Brewing Company. The new location would need enough room to accommodate a restaurant, event space, animal sanctuary and classes from yoga to brewing tutorials.

McDonald still wants to carry on her advocacy work, including resurrecting a Kindness Wall she installed at the former Hendersonville space, where people left necessities like coats, hats, gloves and other helpful items for people in need.

She also founded Sweet Bear Rescue Farm, a sanctuary for neglected farm animals. SBRC is home to 45 animals including cats, chickens, dogs, goats, pigs and turkeys.

“I’ve always thought of Sanctuary Brewing Company as a true sanctuary that celebrates not only incredible craft beer but also advocates for human and non-human animals in creative ways,” McDonald said in the release.

Native Kitchen and Social Pub in Swannanoa announced its decision to close permanently May 8.

Messages to the owners through social media were not immediately returned, but a Facebook post regarding the decision was full of emotion.

"It is with heavy hearts that we have come to the decision to not reopen Native in the near future," the post reads.

"This was not an easy choice, but we believe it is the right one at this time. Over the past eight years, we have loved sharing in your celebrations, anniversaries, and special moments. Of all the things we will miss about Native, and there are so many, the most significant will be the relationships and memories that were created with so many of you."

Additionally, Fuddruckers closed March 31 after a 34-year run on Charlotte Street, according to owner Kip Martin.

Martin told the Citizen Times his decision was driven by a variety of factors, including the need to put a lot of money into the property if it did reopen after coronavirus shutdowns.

"It just seemed like it was a good time to close," Martin said. "The virus is real scary when you think about your people — you can read them and how they're feeling about it. They started to get nervous."

And while not a restaurant, Swannanoa Cleaners is a longtime area business, founded in Asheville more than 100 years ago.

While several locations remain open, Swannanoa Cleaners president Marvin Thomas recently announced the closure of the Arden Square Shopping Center and Eastwood Village Center locations.

14 May, 2020