Sycamore Brewing is being sold to a new owner and will reopen as Club West
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The Airstream on the second floor has new "Club West" branding, currently hidden by a tarp. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Club West Brewing will reopen Saturday in South End under a new owner, marking the official rebrand of the embattled Sycamore Brewing.
Why it matters: The pending sale signals an effort to distance the company from months of fallout after co-founder and former co-owner Justin Brigham was arrested and later indicted on child sex charges.
Driving the news: Sycamore co-founder Sarah Taylor, who filed for divorce after Brigham's arrest, announced she has agreed to sell the brewery to Brad Bergman, the company's director of brewery operations.
- Bergman has worked at Sycamore for eight years. He takes over as Club West's VP of operations, according to a press release provided to Axios.
- Pending regulatory approval, which Bergman estimates will take a few weeks, he will acquire 100% ownership and assume full management.
- Of the brewery's staff, 69 employees were retained while the taproom was closed, and staffing has since grown back to 84 ahead of reopening, Bergman tells Axios.
- Taylor will assist briefly during the transition before stepping away.
- Additional terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Catch up quick: The brewery closed its South End taproom Jan. 5 after Justin Brigham, Taylor's husband, was arrested in December and later indicted on charges including statutory rape of a child under 15 and first-degree burglary, according to court records.
- Retailers and bars across the Carolinas pulled Sycamore beer from shelves and taps. A planned Cotswold expansion was terminated, and the company's airport location began transitioning to a new concept.
What they're saying: Taylor said in a statement that she plans to focus on her family and mental health and is "praying for everyone impacted by this tragedy, especially the victim."
- Of the brewery's new owner, Taylor said: "Brad understands this company inside and out."
Between the lines: Bergman said he felt both a business opportunity and a responsibility to the team when deciding to buy the brewery.
- "Although we got knocked down, we still have great business relationships in place, solid infrastructure, and one of the best brewing and hospitality teams around," he added.
What we're watching: Brigham remains in the Stanly County jail on an $11.25 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 30 for arraignment, per our news partners at WBTV.
What's next: Club West opens March 14 at 11am.