Suffolk Punch expands to Birkdale Village

Driving the news: The popular brewery opened in South End in 2017 and expanded to SouthPark last month. It’ll open a third location in Birkdale Village in 2024.

Why it matters: If you need a snapshot of Charlotte’s growth as a city over the last decade, just look at its bursting brewery scene. You can find one in nearly every neighborhood and many of them, like Suffolk Punch, are expanding.

• Plus, people are flocking to Huntersville. The town’s zip code is the fastest-growing in the Charlotte metro, suggesting homeowners want a small-town feel with access to big-city amenities, as Axios’ McKenzie Rankin reported.

Of note: Not all communities are the same, Suffolk Punch co-owner Seth Stidham says, adding it’s important to adapt to the needs and desires of your community. He says expanding to SouthPark and Birkdale Village were no-brainers for the brewery.

Details: Stidham tells Axios that like its other locations, Suffolk Punch at Birkdale Village will have a full-service restaurant — but this brewery’s focus will be on drinks.

• The Birkdale brewery will serve beer, cocktails, wine, ciders, hard kombucha and seltzers. Suffolk Punch added seltzer to its lineup last year and recently released its hurricane seltzer, which is a take on the cocktail.
• Executive Chef Michael Rayfield will rotate seasonal dishes with locally-sourced ingredients.

• It will include a two-story taproom with a rooftop, a partially covered patio and a view of The Plaza. Downstairs there’ll be a full-service bar and an all-seasons patio. The 1,599-square-foot brewery will fit about 230 people inside and out.

Suffolk Punch at Birkdale Village will be located at 16912 Birkdale Commons Pkwy in Huntersville.

What’s next: Suffolk Punch is actively pursuing opportunities to expand in the greater Charlotte area, but there isn’t a timeline for expansion yet, Stidham says.

Of note: Durban Development, Suffolk Punch’s parent company, is the lead developer. Legacy Real Estate Advisors, LLC’s Adam Williams represented North American Properties for the lease. Southwick Architecture + Interiors is the architect.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include the architect.