SOMETHING'S BREWING IN LELAND

PUB SCOUT

SOME EST. T HING' S2023 BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING BREWING

IN LELAND

Leland’s first brewery is on the horizon for 2023.

BY KURT EPPS, THE PUBSCOUT

CONTRIBUTED RENDERINGS t sounded like a pretty mundane assignment when this magazine's publisher contacted me. Meet a guy named Chris LaCoe and find out what’s behind his latest business I I I I I I I I I I I I II project, which is establishing a new brewery in Leland called 7twenty6 Brewing. So, I arranged to meet Chris at an Irish pub in Leland.

The interview was anything but mundane, and Chris LaCoe may be one of the most interesting men in Leland, if not all of the Tarheel State. This 47-year-old married father of two sons has “lived a life that’s full,” to quote Paul Anka in “My Way.”

LaCoe worked diligently building a company thanks to 60- to 80-hour work weeks from ages 24 to 30. Most men that age are sowing their wild oats and not giving too much thought to the future, but not LaCoe. He was fully acquainted with real work long before that, though. He knew hard, back-breaking work at an early age, growing up in a rural area of North Carolina where his nearest neighbor was a mile away. At the age of 12, he was cropping tobacco and working hog and turkey farms. And work like that will teach you what you don’t want to do for the rest of your life.

His hard work — and savvy business knowledge — allowed him to buy franchises with Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries (formerly Andy’s), and he became the largest franchisee, with 14 franchises is North Carolina and 400 more in Texas and South Carolina.

The concept of Leland Brewing Company (originally planned to be named 7twenty6 Brewing) includes a large brewery building with plenty of indoor and outdor gathering space.

The owners have decided to change the name from their original idea of 7twenty6 to Leland Brewing Company.

It will sit about 30 yards in front of the Leland Town Hall.

He’s also a licensed Realtor with Wicker Properties, and he may be one of the most well-connected businessmen in Brunswick County, having once owned Grape and Ale in Southport. He is a board member on the Leland Tourism Development Authority (LTDA), which helps him in his quest to make Leland “a destination location.”

In the brewery, LaCoe and partner Mark Said own about 84% of the company; Nick Floyd is a partner as well. Floyd, with whom LaCoe started the business, was a top sales guy at Coastal Beverage for 20 years. So, while LaCoe knows the ins and outs of business, Floyd has the beer side covered. The Brewmeister, Ethan Hall, and three other couples have pieces of the business too.

The owners have decided to change the name from their original idea of 7twenty6 to Leland Brewing Company. It will sit about 30 yards in front of the Leland Town Hall. The Town of Leland is trying to revitalize the Gateway District, and Leland Brewing Company could wind up playing a key role in helping to make

Chris LaCoe, one of the owners of the future Leland Brewing Company

PHOTO BY KURT EPPS

CONTRIBUTED RENDERING

that happen. In addition to a laser-like business acumen, LaCoe clearly has some good contacts.

But the road to the eventual opening of the brewery’s front door has not always been smooth. As you might expect, back in March of 2020, COVID threw a gigantic monkey wrench into LaCoe and Co.’s plans, as loans for startups dried up considerably when the pandemic hit. LaCoe’s project was known as an SBA 7a, and the Small Business Administration put all loans to companies like his on a back burner.

That type of delay costs money — big money. LaCoe’s project costs doubled in one year. Fortunately, his bank believed in his business model and told him as much. If he would just have the patience to let things take their course, he would see his project move.

LaCoe not only had great patience — he also knew some people. A banker out of Salt Lake City who was very versed in SBA lending practices guided his strategy. And before too long, the project was back in business.

There was also an issue with the trademark of 7twenty6 Brewing. The idea for that name came originally from a friendly argument between LaCoe and Floyd about which was harder to hit — a baseball or a golf ball. Having long ago given up the game that had me playing that witch doctor game (one who beats the ground with sticks and curses violently), yours truly knew where my vote was going. But it turns out the distance between a pitcher’s mound and home plate is 726 inches. And the name — they thought — was born.

The problem was there was a brewery in Texas that had a beer named 726, and despite the fact that one was a company in North Carolina and the other was a relatively minor beer in Texas, the trademark wonks said “no go.” The name Leland Brewing Company solved the problem.

After a multimillion-dollar investment, LaCoe, Said and Floyd, all well-known Leland men with lots of local support, hope to open up their doors sometime in January 2023. “Actually, any time before St. Paddy’s Day will work,” LaCoe says.

Leland Brewing Company has future plans to make bourbon-infused beers on a regular basis, though that style is not being considered for the immediate future. In addition, the brewery will produce IPAs, Pilsners and other standards. Leland Brewing Company will also distribute in South Carolina and Tennessee. They hope to employ 25 to 35 people at the business.

Hall will be tasked with producing about 1,800 bbl in the first year of operation. They plan to release their first batch of beer on July 26, if LaCoe has his way. Why July 26? 7/26, of course.

Opening up a brewery is a monumental undertaking, even under the best of circumstances, and COVID’s deleterious impact on all the project’s facets cannot be overstated, either in effect on costs or on the mindsets of those involved.

“We couldn’t just walk away, either,” LaCoe says. “It would have meant an unacceptable loss.”

But a guy who, up until recently, did skydiving and Ironman triathlons as recreational pastimes is not likely to be deterred by obstacles. He was also a biker (crotch rocket rider), so he knew how to take life by the throat. “But I also came to realize, after getting married and having a family, that I could not afford to get hurt either,” he admits. “The situation necessitated that I rearrange my priorities. So, I did just that.”

Whenever Leland Brewing Company opens its doors, you can bet it will likely be a star-studded event. Many folks in LaCoe’s wide circle of friends and acquaintances will likely be in attendance. Maybe even his granddad, who is perhaps North Carolina’s oldest living WWII veteran, will be on hand. And as yours truly has been personally invited to attend, it will be my honor to hoist a pint — or three — with Granddad.

And with Chris LaCoe, of course.

He has a lot of stories, and I want to hear more. 

Jeff and Sheree Verderame

Upper Crust

Crust N.C., a mobile wood-fired pizza truck, reinvents the traditional pizza party.

IIf you’re from in and around the New Haven, Connecticut, area, pizza is what you live, eat and breathe. In a town nationally recognized for its pies, you never settle for less than the best.

Jeff Verderame and his wife, Sheree, went to a party about seven years ago in New Haven, where they were introduced to another level of pizza (even for New Havenites): a mobile wood-fired pizza truck.

“I was just overwhelmed and I was so taken with it,” Verderame says. “I think I spent the whole party hanging around next to where they were preparing the pizzas and watching the process. I talked about it for about a year and a half to the point that my wife simply said, ‘Either do something or just shut up about it,’ so I went out and researched it.” The 60-year-old retired marketing entrepreneur reinvented the next chapter of his career by starting his own mobile wood-fired pizza truck business, Crust. He imported a wood-fired pizza oven from Italy, had a trailer for it custom-built and dove right into business. “I thought, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’” Verderame says. “I

have this beautiful brick Italian oven. If the business doesn’t take off, I’ll always have it for my own personal use. I started out as a hobby to see if I could make a go of it, and it turned into a full-fledged business.”

Crust took off with a bang for the next five years, as they were fully booked for private and corporate events in the New Haven area.

“We were very fortunate,” he says.

Verderame grew up in an Italian family with a mother and grandmother who were phenomenal cooks.

“What I did was try to employ some of the things that they taught me on how to cook,” he says. “I always loved cooking. I always loved feeding people, so it was sort of a natural progression for me to go into and make a business out of it.”

Crust launched into such a fullfledged business that it was renowned across the state, and Verderame was catering mobile pizza parties for up to 350 people or more.

But in 2020 when the Verderames decided to move south to Wilmington, North Carolina — away from the cold temperatures and high taxes of Connecticut — he sold Crust to a local restaurateur, who today carries on the legacy in Connecticut.

While Verderame was waiting for their home to be built in The Bluffs on The Cape Fear, he began planning the Southern version of his former business: Crust N.C. - Wood Fired Pizza Events.

“I wanted to build a smaller version of what I had up in Connecticut,” he says. “I promised my wife that I would accept only catering jobs that were of a particular size, so we scaled that back and our sweet spot is anywhere from 50 to 100 people, with our parties starting at 25 guests.”

What can you expect from an event catered by Crust N.C.? Each one is a fun, delicious experience showcasing pizza that’s not your traditional pizza, but instead loaded with fresh ingredients and refreshing twists. For instance, Verderame created a lobster mac and cheese pizza, one with a marinated tenderloin with crispy potatoes, pizza topped with barbecued baby back ribs soaked in a sweet sauce that’s spiked with a pop of hot cherry peppers, brisket pizza, white oyster pizza and more. Crust offers a lengthy list of options, including the standard toppings of fresh meats and vegetables, like local heirloom tomatoes.

“I typically offer to my hosts

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whatever they’d like or they can trust that I’m going to show up with the right ingredients for their guests after I talk to them and get a sense of what they want,” Verderame says. “We’ll make anywhere from 10 and 12 different pies, not just one or two.”

The pizza crust itself, he says, is unique and one of the things folks enjoy most. The dough has a high water content, and Verderame ferments it for two or three days prior to each event. The thin crust is baked in an oven that climbs close to 900 degrees, resulting in a crust texture that’s light, airy and crispy-chewy.

Also, complete with every Crust N.C. catered event comes one of Sheree’s fresh seasonal salads featuring mesclun greens, candied pecans, feta, apples or pears (depending on the season) and a house-made balsamic dressing. Each meal is finished off with either Italian ice or gelato for dessert.

“It’s my therapy in a lot of ways,” Verderame says. “I love the cooking and the prep, but the parties are my favorite part because I get to interact with people. … The oven is right there, and I love the guests coming up and talking to me while we’re stretching the pizza dough and making the pies and putting them in the oven only a couple of feet away. If there are children around, they’re always fascinated, and if I have the opportunity, I throw a little apron on them and they come back and help me make a pizza or two.”

Depending on the size of the event, the Verderames staff most Crust N.C. parties themselves. If needed, they will call on more staff to help out, but, regardless, you can count on Verderame to be at every event, from birthdays to anniversaries to surprise parties and anything in between.

Word-of-mouth marketing from guests who have experienced their pizza parties seems to be a successful generator for business, as they’re booked out through October, but it’s nothing like the back-to-back party days of Connecticut.

“We’re taking a little bit more of a slow roll,” Verderame says. “I became a grandfather a few months ago, and my daughter moved from the West Coast to the Raleigh area, so I’ve spent a lot of time seeing her and my grandson.” 

Getting hungry?

For more information on Crust N.C. or to book a party, call (910) 779-3500 or visit nccrust.com.