Joseph Kasko
palmettoreport@gmail.com

* Editor’s note: May is small business month in York County and this story is part of series of reports on local businesses in the community.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Another Rock Hill taphouse, promoted on the YoCo Brew Trail by Visit York County, is closing its doors after three years of serving the community, making it one of nearly 10 craft brew pubs to shut down in the county since 2022.

Hoppin’ Rock Hill will close its doors May 30, which the establishment announced earlier this month on social media.

“To our Rock Hill Family: as the saying goes, ‘all good things must come to an end,’” owners Joe and Sue Gulledge wrote via Facebook.

“It’s hard to put into words what these last three years have meant to us. What started as a simple vision for a taproom turned into something far greater.”

The Gulledges posted on May 4 that they wouldn’t “go out quietly,” as they plan to host a 3rd anniversary and closing party this weekend.

“Come share your favorite stories with us. Come support our amazing team, who have worked tirelessly to bring good vibes and keep this place humming. Most importantly…come raise a glass with us as we close this chapter the way it deserves: together,” said the Gulledges, who are both former high school educators.

It’s just the latest brewery or taphouse to close in York County in recent years.

Untamed Waters Brewing in Fort Mill closed last month and Middle James Brewing closed its Rock Hill location at the Powerhouse in September. However, the company said, in a social media post, its two other locations in North Carolina would remain open.

“This isn’t the end of Middle James — and we hope to still see your familiar faces at our Pineville and Waxhaw locations. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of our journey in Rock Hill,” the post said.

The YoCo Brew Trail, which was created to promote craft brewing in the county, started with a handful of stops roughly a decade ago and grew to at least 14 locations in 2023. Now, the trail lists at least 10 sites on the Visit York County website.

Thus, there has been some volatility in the craft beer market in the county, with at least eight taprooms and breweries closing over the last four years.

Some of the other closings include:

  • Carolina Brew Supply in Rock Hill, which closed in 2023.
  • Dust Off Brewing Company in Rock Hill, which closed in October 2023.
  • Lake Wylie Brewing Company in Fort Mill, which closed in 2022, but the Rock Hill location remains open.
  • Legal Remedy Brewing Company in Rock Hill, which closed its taproom and restaurant last year, but the brewery is still operational, according to the company’s website. The bar is now occupied by The Journeyman Tavern.
  • LRB Riverwalk in Rock Hill, also operated by Legal Remedy Brewing Company, closed in June 2022.

“It’s definitely a case of multiple factors happening at once,” said Logan Elrod, the digital communications manager for Visit York County, who oversees the YoCo Brew Trail.

Elrod, who is also a Winthrop University graduate and former contributor to the Palmetto Report, joined the Palmetto Report podcast to discuss the recent trend of closings.

He noted that 2024 was the first year, in nearly two decades in the U.S., where more craft breweries closed than opened, according to the Brewers Association.

“I think you definitely had a craft beer bubble of oversaturation of the business and some competitors being weeded out,” Elrod said. “You also have the case of the generation that just turned 21…being the generation that drinks the least of all the generations.”

He also said South Carolina’s insurance laws have made it more expensive and difficult to serve alcohol and operate a brewery.

“You really have to have food in your establishment, so that’s why you see a lot of breweries start buying food trucks. I’m pretty sure Hoppin’ tried to do the same thing to try to get a better policy (from the state),” Elrod said.

“So, there’s a bunch of factors that happened at once that really doesn’t make it too easy to be a brewery in 2026,” he said. “It’s very sad, because they’re such strong partners of ours, but we weren’t too surprised sadly.”  

Regardless of the rise and fall of so many small breweries, one thing is clear: craft brewing is still popular in Rock Hill and York County.

“In the small town of Rock Hill, we do prefer our microbreweries,” said Chip Bishop, a bartender at the Mercantile Rock Hill. “It’s a great way to feature the culture of our town and our area while promoting business and local talent.”

Devin Chavis, another bartender at the Mercantile and a Winthrop graduate, said he thinks many customers prefer to drink local offerings.

“We carry a lot of different wines and beers, especially craft beers. A lot of our selection comes from local breweries,” Chavis said. “People around here want things made at home, not somewhere else.”

Elrod says a few hundred people complete the YoCo Brew Trail each year, by making roughly 10 visits to local taphouses and breweries and earning enough points to win a free t-shirt.

“I think we’ll have more this year, because we did go digital and it’s allowing easier access to the brew trail,” he said.

Elrod said he anticipates there will be less growth in the craft brewing industry in York County in the coming years.

“You’re just going to see more sustainable brands. I think the brands that are going to survive are going to be here for a long time, which is good and they’re going to create a very popular following, but I think we have come to the point where we’re not going to see growth anymore,” he said.

“Always support local. I think these people are families in York County that are providing a service, so any chance you can go out and support local a few times a month, is a good way to support York County.”

*Editor’s note: Anne Marie Bell contributed reporting to this story, which was conducted during the fall 2025 semester.

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