Mad Co. Brew House reopens, affording residents place to 'enjoy each other's company'
As spring nears and Madison County gears up for its official reopening in Marshall and Hot Springs in early May, a number of local businesses and establishments have reopened, including the downtown Marshall tag office.
Additionally, Zuma Coffee hosted its famous bluegrass open jam March 20, its first post-Helene event at the shop.
Mad Co. Brew House celebrated its grand reopening March 27 and featured live music from Jim Hampton.
The ownership team plans to reopen the pizza kitchen by the end of April, according to Rhesa Edwards, who owns Mad Co. Brew House with her husband, Brandon, adding that the owners' priority was reopening the taproom first.
"Everybody's excited, just that we're open, to just have a gathering place to come to seven days a week," Rhesa Edwards said. "Everybody's wanting pizza, big time. So people are sometimes maybe a little disappointed when they come in and find out no pizza. But I think everybody's pretty understanding of what we've gone through."
The North Main Street building took more than 8 feet of water in Helene's Sept. 27 floods.
'To watch everything you worked for, for 10 years, washed down the river in a matter of hours was heartbreaking," said Brandon Edwards. "But there was no doubt we are going to rebuild."
Rhesa Edwards recalled not being able to access the building until Sunday, Sept. 29.
"When we walked in, we had a shovel, some backpacks and some water. We got to the front, and really couldn't even walk up the front patio because there was about 15 inches of mud," Rhesa Edwards said. "So, here we are with a shovel, and we're like, 'This is too much for one shovel.'"
After assessing the damage to the building, the couple decided to go back to their Marshall home to regroup and put a plan together, they said.
They got back to it on Monday, Sept. 30, and went to work.
"We just started chucking stuff on the street, thinking, 'Everything's got to go,'" said Brandon Edwards, shouting out the work of heavy equipment operators in Marshall like Matt Yeakley of Red Shed Woodworks for their help in Marshall's cleanup.
All of the contents and equipment in the taproom and pizza kitchen were destroyed.
Extensive renovations were necessary, including the removal of all drywall, floors, kitchen equipment, tables, chairs and even the tile and bathroom fixtures.
According to Rhesa Edwards, the owners were fortunate to have received donations from a GoFundMe established to raise funds for the business, as the owners awaited compensation from their flood insurance.
The brewery held a soft reopening March 17 to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
"We're excited, and I know everybody else in the community is excited, too," Rhesa Edwards said.
"Everything that happened was pretty shocking, but we came through, and we're ready to welcome the community back into Mad Co."
Flow Gallery also celebrated a grand reopening March 27.
"It's just good to have people downtown," Brandon Edwards said.
Brandon Edwards said he was overwhelmed by the support and turnout at the March 17 soft reopening.
"They don't know what it means to us, because if people don't come back, it's all for nothing," he said. "But to see people come out in the numbers that they did when we were first opening, it's overwhelming. I mean, we really, really appreciate our community and our people."
For Rhesa Edwards, Mad Co. Brew House's reopening affords the town and Madison County a little sense of normalcy, too.
"That has been pretty uplifting for everybody," Rhesa Edwards said. "I think everybody's just excited to have a place to come to and get together, and enjoy each other's company."
More: Amid the rubble in Marshall, residents caution about toxic conditions amid Helene cleanup
More: After Western NC Helene floods, small town starts recovery 1 shovel of mud at a time
Mad Co. Brew House will temporarily operate under limited hours:
Monday through Thursday, 4-8 p.m.
Friday, 2-9 p.m.
Saturday, 2-8 p.m.
Sunday, 2-6 p.m.
"
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Marshall's Mad Co. Brew House reopens
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