Cape Charles Brewing Company
Borrower : Cape Charles Brewing Co.
Where : Cape Charles/Eastern Shore, VA
Loan Amount : $1.1 Million
Project Type : Commercial Mortgage, Development, Equipment, and Line of Credit
Opportunity
Cape Charles Brewing Co. is bringing locally made craft beer into the heart of the resort town of Cape Charles along this 70-mile stretch of land between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The Marshall family purchased a 2.5-acre property on Stone Road – the main thoroughfare into Cape Charles – and is in the midst of developing a 16,000-square-foot brewery and tasting room and, later, brewpub and event space. The production facility is expected to brew 3,000 barrels of beer every year and offer 15 beers at any given time.
Virginia Community Capital, in partnership with federal resources, has partnered with Cape Charles Brewing to structure a financing package to help the small business start strong. We are servicing a $500,000 construction loan from the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Industrial Revitalization Fund to help build out the brewery; have approved a $361,250 Small Business Administration-backed loan to purchase brewing equipment; and have provided the owners with an SBA Express line of credit. In addition, VCC serves as the lender on a $150,000 mortgage refinancing of the property.
Impact
With the rise in popularity of craft beer, growing tourism in Cape Charles, and a diligent review of the company’s business plan, financing the Eastern Shore’s first craft brewery was an easy decision for VCC and our partners.
Successful businesses also help spur activity in other businesses. The Marshalls have partnered with local restaurants in anticipation of the brewery’s spring opening to offer food delivery and food trucks on-site, which will be essential until the brewpub is operational. The five full-service restaurants in Cape Charles are also looking forward to providing customers with the region’s first craft beer (as are many of the 70 other restaurants on the Eastern Shore). The Marshalls are also ramping up hiring, and have given their brewer an equity stake in the business to share in its success. The company expects residents of Hampton Roads may be further inclined to make a day trip to the Eastern Shore if local beer is on the itinerary.
And now the information everyone wants to know: the beers. Cape Charles Brewing will open with four brews, all named after notable Eastern Shore locales: Wallops Island Imperial IPA, Cobb Island IPA, Assateague Island Pils, and Smith Island Stout. For more information on Cape Charles Brewing, visit capecharlesbrewing.com.
Solution
Small Business Lending
Small businesses are at the heart of every economy, and this is especially true in the small town of Cape Charles (permanent resident population: 1,000 and growing). Businesses like Cape Charles Brewing Co. create new jobs and destinations for tourists, whether passing through to Maryland or Hampton Roads (the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is only 10 miles south) and looking for a fun place to stop, or for those visiting Cape Charles on vacation. With VCC partners at the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Small Business Administration, we can offer loans to help entrepreneurs like the Marshall family jumpstart their business and enhance the economic vitality of the community.
Beyond lending, we’re a partner for all projects in which we invest, and our borrowers are able to tap into our vast industry expertise to learn more about best practices and observed challenges in real estate projects. We bring in experts and stakeholders to ensure every project has a plan for success and can deploy talent and resources to answer complex questions our partners may have regarding capital sources, regulations, development methods, and more.