What Is The Relationship Between The Craft Beer And Homebrew Industry In Wilmington

The craft beer and homebrew industry in Wilmington has changed the landscape of the city for the better since the movement began. Many brewing companies move into neglected urban areas, and often times historic buildings within the city. When a new brewery opens, just like any business, it requires staff and employees to run the facility, and with the traffic brought in by the breweries comes other small businesses moving into the now profitable areas. These small businesses will often times go on to create symbiotic relationships, whether it be with local artists, food trucks, or musicians.

Many of the most well known breweries in the city are located in restored historic buildings. According the Hannah Brewer of TWC News, as of 2015 Waterline

The biggest beneficiary of this would be local food trucks. Due to local regulations, food trucks are required to be set up on private property, and can’t just set up and sell anywhere they want. In an article by Paul Stephen of Star News Steve Harrington is quoted as saying “"It's the most amazing symbiosis in the world, The relationship there seems like a no-brainer. You're creating even more of a gravity for those locations, and I can see that relationship continuing to build. That's the biggest thing, in a lot of ways, that these trucks have going." In the same article, Michelle Savard, co-owner of Wilmington Brewing Company talks about the benefits for the breweries saying “It's almost to the point where people expect a food truck at a brewery, and they do stay longer when there's something to eat, so we end up selling more beer." Emily Barlas, co-owner of Flytrap Brewing, talks about how it benefits the decision to be located in historic buildings saying "It's a great symbiotic relationship, There's not a lot of easy access to food in this part of town, so it's a terrific opportunity for people to come sit down and stay longer than if they had to run off and have dinner somewhere