After opening its second taproom and biergarten in Ballantyne earlier this year, Olde Mecklenberg Brewery (OMB) is on track for its next expansion, this time targeting the Mount Holly neighborhood.
They broke ground on the about 7,000-square-foot facility last month, chief operating officer James Birch told What Now Charlotte. The one-story building will be located along the Catawba River, with a similar size and design to the brand’s original location in LoSo.
The design will involve both the interior facility and biergarten. Birch said they are in the final design planning and permitting stages, and they are aiming to open in late 2025 or early 2026 depending on how construction progresses.
The brand, which founder John Marrino launched in 2007, has two locations: one in LoSo and one in Ballantyne. OMB also just opened a biergarten in the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in November in collaboration with HMS Host. Birch said the Mount Holly location is a natural progression for expanding the brand in and around Charlotte.
“We think that the OMB brand is best witnessed as a customer at one of the beer gardens. We’re a community gathering spot at both [of our] locations. It’s family-friendly and pet-friendly and a place people plan to visit. We’re a part of the community,” Birch said. “We think people like to be outside and be with other folks over a beer, as you would be in Munich. That’s our focus.”
