Durham kombucha brewery Homebucha is opening a new taproom
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Homebucha sells several flavors of kombucha, including blueberry-lavender and ginger-lemon. Photo: Zachery Eanes/Axios
Homebucha, an eight-year-old kombucha brewer that built a loyal following at the Durham Farmers Market, is opening its first taproom in the city.
Driving the news: Homebucha moved its production facility to 304 S. Driver St. on Monday and plans to open its tasting room there in August, Grant Ruhlman, Homebucha's founder and head fermenter, told Axios.
Why it matters: Homebucha now joins a growing number of small businesses opening near the intersection of Driver Street and Angier Avenue, including Rofhiwa Book Café and its under-construction bar Congress, Idea's Sandwich shop and Mike D's BBQ.
- The area is becoming an important center for small businesses — especially those that are minority-owned — looking for more affordable space .
- It's a return to East Durham for Ruhlman, a Salisbury native who moved to the city to work in farming and then in the Durham Public Schools. One of Homebucha's first production facility for Homebucha was in the kitchen of Joe's Diner on Angier Avenue.
Between the lines: Ruhlman noted finding commercial space in the city has become increasingly difficult and expensive for small businesses. He said he almost signed a lease in Hillsborough after striking out on most spots in Durham.
- Homebucha has four tanks for brewing, ranging in size from 175 gallons to 80 gallons, and need between 1,000 to 1,500 square feet of space to operate.
- "There are warehouses with 40,000 square feet of space, but they won't subdivide it or there might be retail spaces that are $34 per square foot annually," he said. "That's either out of the price range of a small, local business, or extremely risky if you're going to do that."
Zoom out: Kombucha has seen a steep rise in popularity, as consumers look for more tasty low-alcohol beverage optionsand are attracted to the health benefits of the probiotics it contains.
- "The people of Durham, they're not afraid to spend a little bit extra on something if it's local and high quality," he said.
The big picture: Ruhlman believes that Homebucha still has room to expand — though he wants to keep it on the smaller scale by using mostly local ingredients and cutting back on the distances he will drive to deliver his drinks in the name of environmental stewardship.
- "I think in general, the industry is growing," he said. "It's getting to be that if you're a bar, of course you're going to have your alcoholic drinks, but it's almost required now to have a spirit-free option."
What we're watching: One area of growth could be Raleigh, Ruhlman said, where Homebucha is currently only sold at four stores and bars.
- Follow Homebucha on Instagram for updates on their taproom's progress.