NoDa Brewing will start serving food, cocktails as it focuses on North End location

• It's partnering with a to-be-announced local restaurant group to build the restaurant in early 2025.

The big picture: Gone are the days when breweries could draw customers just by pouring great craft beer. Founded in 2011, NoDa Brewing leaders describe how they constantly adapt to today's customers who demand choices, from drinks to food.

• "We're effectively the second-oldest brewery in town, and now there's, what? 50 plus?" says Jacob Virgil, the brewery's strategic development director. "It's crazy how much it's changed, but it's a really interesting time for breweries and restaurants, even."
• Customers now expect food when at breweries, but food trucks aren't as reliable as they once were, Virgil says. One of the reasons for closing "The OG" location is that it was difficult to compete with nearby restaurants.

Zoom in: In the new year, NoDa is also launching three THC seltzer flavors, offered in 5 and 10 milligrams.

• It will also start a cocktail program. (Sneak peek: One drink is a Paper Plane, the bourbon-based cocktail. They're calling it an "Altitude Adjustment.")

Catch up quick: NoDa closed its OG location in June, reserving it only for private events. However, it was difficult for guests to find parking amid all the surrounding construction. As the lease nears its end at the end of this month, NoDa decided to close the location for good and focus on its North End taproom.

• In March, NoDa finished a 16,000-square-foot storage expansion at its second spot. That's emptied extra space to build out an event venue in 2025.