South End is quickly bringing itself back from the dead. What was once a wasteland of beige apartments is now doing its best to steal the social scene from Uptown. Allow me to be the first to admit I was totally wrong about what I thought South End would become and I love to see its progress.
Next up in the transformation is the second location of Bulldog Beer & Wine. For those not familiar, it is a concept from Rob Johnson, which combines beer, wine and bulldogs. Walking into his shop (the first location is in Dilworth) you feel an instant sense of belonging and relaxation.
Shelves and coolers of beer and an inviting bar tell you this is a great place to hang out. Rob hopes to continue this atmosphere in South End.
What Is It?
Located near Winnifred and Summit (by Wooden Robot & Brass Tap), Bulldog Beer & Wine’s second location will be a 4,000 sqft space providing a variety of entertainment to the area.
The plan is to have 20 taps, shelves and coolers for beer, food trucks from Thursday-Saturday, a gigantic patio and arcade games…. oh, and of course it will be dog friendly.
Some other interesting things the space will sell: home brewing supplies & ingredients, household items (TP, laundry detergent, dog food, etc) and non-alcoholic beverages if you want to go down that route.
Why Do You Care?
Your first thought may be, well I have Craft, Good Bottle Co and more, why do I need this? Well, I say the more the merrier and Rob likes to think of it as being “complementary to the area, not competitive.”
He continued by saying this “will be a fun place to just hang out” no different than the other places which will feed off each other. Personally, I see so much potential in South End I see no reason why all of these places won’t work together.
Now that that’s out of the way, lets talk about the patio. It’s going to be massive.
There will be space for picnic tables, corn hole, food trucks and more, and it will also have a giant garage door that connects inside to outside to bring it all together.
Charlotte needs more patios.
The interior will be unique as they are restoring the old brick in the building and keeping the industrial-style ceiling.
The bar is going to be my favorite part as Rob and team are tearing down an old barn and using the wood to go into the bar along with corkwood.
They will also utilize Wild Turkey barrels throughout the location to be “drink stands.”
When Can You Use It?
The plan is to have a presence by Panthers season, and while they may miss the first few games, they will definitely be open for the majority of the season.
Bulldog Beer & Wine will be among the growing list of quality locations in South End to grab a good beer, relax and be among peers. Location is solid.
Oh and just an FYI, this weekend the current location is hosting “Hop Summer in the City” during which IPAs will take over the tap room. Tiger Yakatori will be on hand Friday and Yummy Banh Mi will be there Saturday.
