Just two months before Tropical Storm Helene ravaged businesses along the French Broad River, the fledgling River Arts District Brewing Co. sustained severe property damage from a separate catastrophic flood.
In mid-July, a rainwater runoff ditch that runs along the edge of the property was overwhelmed, sending muddy water racing toward the brewhouse and taproom.
“It ran over the bank, into our beer garden and clogged our outside drains with debris,” recalls General Manager Shawn Robinson. “Our keg cooler is approximately 4 feet off the ground, but when the water got high enough to reach it, the flood had relatively easy access to get inside the building. The end result was about 5 feet of standing water in our basement.”
During breaks from cleaning up, Robinson and founder/brewer Robert “Lem” Lemery contacted Charlotte-based draft beer system installers Crafty Beer Guys to assess the damage to the brewing system, which temporarily left RAD Brewing unable to serve its own beers. And Karis Roberts, executive director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance (ABA) — whom Robinson calls “our guardian angel” — contacted area breweries for support, helped set up a GoFundMe campaign and even delivered a keg from another brewery while she was on crutches.
Additional support came from Wicked Weed Brewing, BearWaters Brewing Co., DSSOLVR, Black Mountain Brewing, 12 Bones Brewing and Archetype Brewing.
RAD Brewing received some insurance coverage due to the catastrophic nature of the event, but not a full payout. Yet as it did from the start, the community has stepped up to help. As of press time, nearly $13,000 of the GoFundMe’s $50,000 goal to replace the broken equipment has been raised. And multiple benefit shows have been organized by local musicians.
“When we were opening this brewery, our goal was to be a community-oriented and -focused business. To have so many people reach out to help, show up unannounced, ready to clean or move tables — it warms the heart,” says Robinson, an Asheville native. “We have truly been humbled and are so thankful, and wouldn’t be open without that help and support.”
Returning the favor
Because of the July flooding, Robinson says the RAD Brewing team didn’t take Helene lightly. The crew spent all day Sept. 25-26 taking every single item out of the building’s basement. Lemery used his forklift to move all nonbeer tanks upstairs into the brewery, and everything stored downstairs got relocated.
“We even removed paper towel and toilet paper dispensers off the wall,” Robinson says. “We just knew that we were going to get flooded a second time. Our logic was ‘If it’s left downstairs, it’s one more thing we will have to clean and/or replace afterwards.’”
Though the beer garden flooded again overnight Sept. 25, resulting in nearly 4 feet of water outside the building’s basement door, RAD Brewing emerged relatively unscathed after the high winds of Sept. 26-27. The property’s electricity came back the evening of Sept. 27, saving the beers in its keg cooler and those in the process of fermenting.
Recognizing how fortunate they were, Robinson and Lemery committed to helping the community that had come to their aid a few months earlier. They kept a 700-gallon water tank full for people to fill up jugs. And a neighbor who’s a private chef and was given a significant amount of food from restaurants without electricity began making hot meals to serve at the brewery. Fuego’s Grill Catering also began cooking hamburgers and hot dogs to supplement the chef’s efforts.
“As people came by for the hot meals and drinking water, others began bringing donations of supplies for people to pick up. The word got out about the hot meals, water and supplies, and more donations came in,” Robinson says. “We estimate almost 4,000 hot meals were given out at the brewery over the first six weeks post-Helene.”
The brewery held benefit concerts for BeLoved Asheville, Asheville Tool Library and the ABA. And as RAD Brewing ran low on beer, it bought kegs from local breweries that hadn’t reopened post-Helene.
“We are just now starting to build our draft list back to the size it was before the storm,” Robinson says. “As for future preparations, I think it is just developing a mindset of staying vigilant and going with the idiom ‘Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.’ These are some crazy times. The importance of community is stronger now than ever before.”
Back in business
Mad Co. Brew House in downtown Marshall has felt similar support from its neighbors over the past six months. Without it, owner/operator Rhesa Edwards is sure her brewery wouldn’t have been able to reopen March 28.
Established in 2016, the business was flooded with 8 feet of water inside and 12 feet on the building’s exterior when the French Broad River jumped its banks in late September. Mad Co. lost all of its equipment, as well as its food, alcohol and beverage inventory, office supplies, furniture and fixtures. Flooring had to be ripped up along with drywall, doors and other infrastructure.
According to Edwards, the brewery secured a few grants, started a GoFundMe that raised nearly $40,000 and received flood insurance money. The funding has allowed for new tile flooring, drywall, door and window trim, and new stairs on the back deck, plus replacing the building’s electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems.
“We moved to Marshall because we couldn’t resist the natural beauty it provided. We stayed because the community has given us a home,” Edwards says. “We always knew this place was special, and we didn’t need a natural disaster to realize it. But it happened, and we are here, and we are stronger as a community because of it.”
As the floodwaters receded, volunteers came in droves along with construction crews and heavy-equipment operators to clean up the Madison County seat. And the dedicated assistance gave Edwards and her team the confidence to commit to returning.
“It was important for us to get the taproom open first so people could have a place to gather again. Though there have been many events, pop-ups and community gatherings, it’s nice to have a place that is open seven days a week for the community,” she says. “Opening the pizza kitchen is our next phase. Having a smaller kitchen with a concise menu has allowed us to be nimble and adaptable while offering a quality product at a reasonable price.”
While gradually resuming these regular operations, Edwards is already seeing her trust in Marshall’s residents pay off. She notes that Mad Co.’s reputation as a desirable host for celebrations and events has already resulted in upcoming venue rentals for graduation parties and that such sustained support keeps her optimistic about the future.
