Yes, this old real estate office, on SW Broad Street in Southern Pines, will become Moore County’s fourth brewery by the end of the summer.
It’s the new (and first) home of Hatchet Brewing Company, founded in 2017 by Greg Walker and Mike Carey. The two bonded over homebrewing while stationed at Fort Bragg, eventually deciding to expand their hobby into a business.
“It started off as kind of a joke — wouldn’t it be cool if we actually got paid to do this?'” Greg said. “And over time, we started developing the concept and said ‘Well, let’s actually try.'”
The two have spent the last years perfecting Hatchet Brewing Co.’s flagship brews and trying to find the perfect spot for a brewery and taproom. They first had their eye on the former Theater Antiques building; but will be moving into this strip mall on SW Broad Street, across the tracks from Curt’s Cucina.
“The whole business concept is focused on a downtown location, and that was the challenge, trying to find somewhere suitable for what we’re trying to do,” Mike says.
The concept is centered around 20 taps, featuring 12-15 varieties of their own beer — which will initially include a black IPA and a pilsner, both of which are yet to be named. You won’t find food service, but the adjacent parking lot offers plenty of space for food trucks.
Plans (by Dean King, of Pinnacle Development Design Build) include a unique roof treatment, and a pair of roll-up garage doors that will connect the taproom to a wraparound patio. Seating will encompass the space under the existing awning, as well as the current green space on the Broad Street side of the building. The interior taproom will be rustic and industrial with exposed beams, live-edge tables and pendant lights.
So, what’s with the hatchet?
“We all met through the military and a lot of the guys who have been supporting this from behind the scenes were from the same team,” says Greg. “It actually started out as our team patch. We want this to have that same tight-knit sense of community we found in the military.”
The family, kid and dog-friendly space is set to open in late August. Though hours are not set, Greg and Mike say they will be closed on Mondays, and are considering staying open until midnight on Saturdays.
