Brewing Up Something New

Several shuttered spaces around Wilmington are getting new lives and fresh purposes under several recent plans. One-time shops, warehouses, and homes have been transformed into new businesses. Check out the twists on the spaces and the inspiration these female owners brought to the reimagined buildings.

MICHELLE and JOHN SAVARD have recently embarked on an exciting new venture: Savard Beer & Board. The project combines their passion for brewing with the artistry of surfboard shaping, all set in a warehouse in downtown Wilmington.

The Savards, owners of Wilmington Brewing Company at 824 South Kerr Avenue, have always planned to expand their business by opening a second brewery.

In 2020, they purchased a nearly 9,000-square-foot building at 121 South Front Street. The building, one block from the Cape Fear River, was previously a wholesale grocery warehouse known as W.H. McEachern’s Sons.

Constructed in the mid-20th century, it originally served as a Merita bread bakery until the McEachern family acquired it in the early 1960s.

Michelle and John Savard, both hailing from Wilmington, have cherished this building since childhood, embodying a deep-rooted connection to their hometown.

“We call it our love project because we couldn’t afford to do anything with it upon purchase, but we loved the building so much with the skylights, the exposed brick, and the vines,” Michelle Savard says. “I grew up here, so this building I’ve known. It was beautiful with the mural, the fruits, and the veggies. I couldn’t believe that we were able to get it.”

However, as with all older buildings, the renovation presented numerous challenges that the Savards embraced. They understood that this historical structure held immense potential and was ready for a new chapter, requiring significant updates to various systems for its revival.

“It was a very old building that was being used for storage,” Michelle Savard says. “It was basically a little bit more than a dirt floor. So, we raised the floor, concrete, and added AC. There wasn’t a lot of plumbing either, but we saw its potential in the location.”

John Savard has been passionate about surfing since his youth.

Recently, he had taken the next step by shaping his own boards, infusing creativity into every design. Together, they chose to transform the Front Street space into a unique concept: a surfboard shaping shop and brewery, merging his love of surfing with the couple’s brewing journey.

Along with the beer tanks, exposed bricks visible when you walk in, and surf shaping area, there is also an event space on the main floor available to rent out, as well as a two-bedroom, two-bath rental space on the second floor that overlooks the river.

The furnishings for the upstairs apartment are still a work in progress as this labor of love on Front Street continues to evolve.

“We learned a lot through the process. Everything won’t be exactly perfect,” Michelle Savard says. “You can’t just throw a system into a new building and expect it to work like a factory. There’s information that comes up once you’re open that you can figure out organically.”

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