Nearly two and a half years after Charlotte said goodbye to its only Black-owned brewery, Clarence Boston says he is bringing his Georgia-based Hippin’ Hops brand to the Queen City this summer.
Boston tells QCity Metro the brewery will open at Bainbridge NoDa on North Davidson Street.
He broke the news via Facebook: “Here we GROW again,” he wrote.
Why it matters: Craft brewing has grown to become a multi-billion dollar industry in North Carolina, yet few brewers of color can be found.
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Boston, a serial entrepreneur and investor who once owned Boston’s Mortuary on Statesville Road, left Charlotte in late 2020, frustrated that he could not find a landlord willing to rent to him.
Resettled in Atlanta–Chocolate City, he calls it–Boston opened Hippin’ Hops Brewery & Oyster Bar.
Since then he has opened two more locations and Charlotte will be his fourth.
Boston also is co-owner of Firehouse Bar & Lounge, which sits in the shadow of Bank of America Stadium.