Terry Espy, president of the MoMentum Companies, has announced plans for Prestige Brewing, a brewery-restaurant now in the works at 509 Castle St.
 
The 3,600-square-foot building will house a three-barrel brewing system as well as a full bar and restaurant featuring upscale-casual dining, slated to open in spring 2017.
 
“We felt that Castle Street really needed an additional evening gathering space that offered reasonably priced food and drinks,“ said Espy, who worked with Prestige and the owners of the property on the lease transaction at 509 Castle St. “Prestige will definitely fill this gap and is a great step toward the evolution of Castle Street that we have been working for.”
 
Prestige Brewing will be owned and operated by Kyle Kitsmiller, Dan Flory, Rigo Rodriguez and Isaiah Karsen. Kitsmiller, Flory and Rodriguez are high school classmates from Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city often recognized for its vast brewing industry.
 
“Asheville has recently overtaken Grand Rapids in terms of the number of breweries,” Kitsmiller said. “And now that trend is moving to the coast, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it. We look forward to bringing a Midwest-inspired brewery and restaurant to Wilmington.”
 
Kitsmiller said Prestige will have 12 beers on tap, with head brewer Flory offering weekly home brewing demonstrations. The brewing area will be open to the public, and Prestige has plans for limited local distribution. In addition to craft beer, Prestige will also serve North Carolina wines and more than 40 varieties of loose-leaf tea.
 
While the menu is still in the works, Kitsmiller said customers can expect plates in the $8-$10 range, with items such as duck nachos, paninis, salads and local seafood.
 
“We really want to invest in building up the Castle Street neighborhood and participate in as many charitable events as possible,” Kitsmiller said. “We hope that by investing in the community that they will in turn invest in us.”

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