Update: South Slope brewery unexpectedly lays off staff, closes kitchen

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read

ASHEVILLE - A South Slope brewery raised concerns as talks of staff layoffs and closed kitchens circulated.

Employees of Bhramari Brewing Co. took to social media over the Jan. 14-15 weekend in search of jobs after reported furloughs at the local craft beer brewery at 101 S. Lexington Ave.

On Jan. 17, Josh Dillard, the chef and owner, confirmed via text message to the Citizen Times that the Asheville taproom is still open as a taproom for the winter and that the Charlotte taproom is closed for a month.

More:New Asheville ghost kitchen offers Kati rolls, chaat fries, craft beer

On Jan. 15, Bhramari and its ghost kitchen, Shere Khan Kati Rolls, were removed from the Takeout Central website at the business's request with the reason that the kitchen was closed, a representative of the North Carolina-based delivery service confirmed.

Shere Khan Kati Rolls' No Lamb No Way is made with Impossible chopped meat, tzatziki, feta, red onion, tomato, olives and shredded lettuce.
Shere Khan Kati Rolls' No Lamb No Way is made with Impossible chopped meat, tzatziki, feta, red onion, tomato, olives and shredded lettuce.

The taproom kitchen that served dine-in guests shared a space with the ghost kitchen, a delivery-only concept that debuted in the fall.

When asked if laid-off employees will return, Dilliard responded, "I hope they will. We loved everyone of them."

Dillard did not give a reason for the closures at the time of publication.

On Jan. 19, Bhramari Brewing posted statements on its social media page addressing the kitchen closure and staff layoffs.:

“Bhramari Brewing Company has been taking the month of January, typically the slowest month in the service industry, to plan, and remodel. While our kitchen will be closed for the next few weeks, OUR TAPROOM WILL REMAIN OPEN, please stop by for a visit and grab a cold one! We look forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks with full kitchen and dining services available as well."

A second post stated:

“Regarding our staff, we deeply regret being in a position where letting staff go was an operational necessity. We love our team, and our community, and hope to announce as soon as possible our plans to re-hire those we couldn’t keep on during what, we hope, is a temporary shutdown of our kitchen.

In the meantime, our Tap Room is Still Open! And, we are very thankful for those who drop by for a pint while we work towards a full reopening.”

For more about Bhramari Brewing, visit bhramaribrewing.com and facebook.com/bhramaribrewingco/.

This story is developing.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Bhramari Brewing Co. staff laid off, kitchen closes unexpectedly