Durham brewery shutters taproom in a busy nightlife district
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Flying Bull closed its Ninth Street taproom Feb. 26.
- Brewery expanded grocery distribution and is concentrating on its Morris Street brewpub.
- Closure follows a regional trend of several Triangle brewery taprooms closing.
A Durham brewery closed its original taproom late last month, opening a space in one of the city’s signature districts.
Flying Bull Beer Company closed down its Ninth Street taproom and coffee shop at the end of February. The move leaves Flying Bull with only its large brewing and restaurant space on Morris Street in Downtown Durham’s Innovation District.
Flying Bull first opened in 2020 as a small taproom and nanobrewery, situated within Durham’s prominent Ninth Steet Corridor of shops and restaurants. Owned by Joel Miles and Anna Bloch, Flying Bull started as one of Durham’s smallest breweries, with only a one-barrel brewing system. The taproom on Ninth Street became popular for its backyard biergarten tucked away from the bustle.
The last day for Flying Bull’s Ninth Street location was Thursday, Feb. 26.
The owners said the closing helps focus operations at Flying Bull’s downtown space as the brewery recently expanded distribution into grocery stores.
“With distribution ramping up and our brewery and restaurant growing faster than ever, we’re channeling everything we’ve got into this next chapter — and we can’t wait for you to be a part of it,” the owners said in a closing announcement.
Flying Bull opened its Morris Street location in 2024, combining a production brewery and brewpub in one space.
In the last year, the Triangle has seen its popular craft brewery scene shrink somewhat, with the closing of serveral brewery taprooms. Among those, Vicious Fishes has closed multiple locations, Cotton House closed in Cary and Havoc Brewing closed in Pittsboro.
