Local

Break-in the latest hit for Charlotte brewery trying to stay afloat in pandemic

CHARLOTTE — Thieves have targeted both Heist Brewery locations in Charlotte over the last few weeks.

The business has faced hit after hit -- especially on the verge of the new statewide curfew reducing its hours -- and this was their second break-in.

Last month, burglars broke into the NoDa location and stole a safe. Surveillance video showed two suspects rummaging through a back office at the NoDa location. One of them lifted the safe and then walked out of the door with it.

On Wednesday night, the Camp North End business was hit.

[WANT TO WATCH ON OUR STREAMING APPS? CLICK HERE]

General Manager Spencer Farrell told Channel 9 that the recent break-ins are disheartening at a time when they’re already losing money from the pandemic.

“I have 27 servers and all of them depend on this job,” said Spencer Farrell. “There’s 18 people in the kitchen. They depend on this job. And if this job doesn’t stay active or it’s not here then what do they do?”

Farrell said they’ve shifted their priorities from making a profit to just finding a way to break even.

[CORONAVIRUS IN THE CAROLINAS; HERE’S HOW TO STAY INFORMED]

In North Carolina, a curfew will be implemented between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Businesses will not be able to serve alcohol past 9 p.m.

>> In the video at the top of this webpage, reporter DaShawn Brown speaks with Farrell about the blow his restaurants took and its impact on his employees.