ASHEVILLE – New Belgium Brewing Co. is preparing to reopen its taproom in Asheville after it was closed for more than two months due to Tropical Storm Helene.
New Belgium’s Taprom and Liquid Center production facility is closed due to the historic September 27 storm at 21 Craven St. in West Asheville.
On December 16, New Belgium’s taproom will reopen from noon to 8 p.m. and resume normal hours.
Belgium’s new Helene impact
New Belgium is located on the banks of the French Broad River, along a portion of the Greenway, and overlooks the River Arts District.
On December 9, a New Belgium statement was filed by spokesperson Michaela Eagan stating that the Asheville brewery and operations were significantly affected by the storm and that recovery efforts are underway, including assessing damage to equipment.
View of the River Arts District flooding from New Belgium Brewing during the flooding after Tropical Storm Helene.
During the soft reopening, the brewery will operate at limited capacity.
“We have communicated extensively with our business partners as we have worked to limit disruptions to our order fulfillment capabilities,” the statement said.
“We have made several strategic adjustments to our portfolio to support our business partners across the country, including increasing production at our locations in Fort Collins, CO, Daleville, VA and Comstock, MI, and engaging a third party co-manufacturer to assist with additional production.”
Help during Helene
New Belgium stated that staff safety and well-being were prioritized in the weeks following Helene, and communication channels had been established to provide ongoing support.
The intention is for employees to return to work as soon as the brewery campus reopens.
New Belgium Brewing’s Asheville campus is located on the French Broad River and is a popular watering hole for tourists and locals.
New Belgium reported that Helene’s outreach has included financial commitments to Asheville Food Connection Inc, Asheville GreenWorks, Asheville Humane Society, BeLoved Asheville, Impact Health, Manna Foodbank, Mountain True, Poder Emma, Wine to Water and the North United Way’s Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
A fundraising and critical donation campaign was launched, supported by New Belgium employees and business partners across the country.
The brewery served as a distribution station for potable and non-potable water with Wine to Water and a residential recycling site with Asheville GreenWorks and Curbside Management.
“We recognize that this work will need to be prioritized in the months and years ahead,” New Belgium said. “We will bring additional support and resources forward as our community continues to heal.”
For more information, visit newbelgium.com and follow @newbelgium_avl on Instagram.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and spent many years pursuing arts, entertainment and hospitality in Louisiana. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What to know about New Belgium’s reopening after Tropical Storm Helene
