A new chapter for NoDa Brewing
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NoDa's new branding in a Harris Teeter fridge next to the old packaging. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
One of Charlotte's first breweries wants to make sure it's still cool.
Driving the news: Today, NoDa Brewing Company reveals a new logo and branding. It's swapping the 12-year-old font and '50s-style imagery for a bolder, street art-esque style of cans and boxes.
Why it matters: The rebranding of a leading Charlotte brewery reflects how the city is growing and the craft beer industry is changing.
- NoDa Brewing's goal is to attract a wider, young audience that doesn't have an allegiance to a craft beer brand as the brewery's original customers did.
Between the lines: NoDa started the process of reviving its brand in October 2022. Jacob Virgil, the brewery's strategic development director, tells Axios when NoDa Brewing opened, it appealed to the stereotypical craft beer drinker. A decade later, that look felt stale.
- Branding firm CODO Design interviewed employees and customers for around 20 hours in total. Virgil says the results were eye-opening.
- They realized NoDA Brewing had become a brand "people respected but didn't necessarily find as cool. Kind of, like, almost your dad's beer," Virgil said.
Details: The new cans will still don the artwork NoDa Brewing is known for, a nod to the neighborhood's artistic roots. But half of the can will be reserved for the beer's name and logo, and the other half will give more attention to the art.
Zoom out: NoDa Brewing increased its volume of beer sold last year by almost 25%. To keep up with demand, it's nearing completion of 16,000 square feet of dry storage and cooler that will improve operation efficiency.
- The brewery has been so tight for space it's felt like a game of "supply chain Tetris," Virgil says. One employee's job has been to organize the different storage spaces daily.
- The brewery plans to turn one of its old storage rooms, behind the taproom, into an event venue later this year.
What's next: New packaging will hit grocery shelves this month. NoDa Brewing will run through all its inventory before fully adopting the new packaging.
- At the brewery's location, a new sign with the updated logo is already on display. NoDa Brewing is also exploring a revamp of the taproom to incorporate the new look.
Go deeper: Complete list and map of Charlotte's 40+ local breweries, plus the most popular beer at each