Micro-Production of Alcohol and Tasting Room Regulations in Charlotte

In the City of Charlotte, breweries, micro-distilleries, and taprooms are classified under the use category Micro-Production of Alcohol. These facilities are permitted with prescribed conditions in a variety of commercial, manufacturing, activity center, and transit-oriented zoning districts, provided they include an on-site restaurant, bar, or tasting room. The City of Charlotte generally limits the production area of these facilities to 30,000 square feet, though this may be doubled for the adaptive reuse of buildings constructed prior to 1980 [Section 15.3, Section 15.4.FFF].

Permitted Zoning Districts

The City of Charlotte Global Use Matrix identifies the specific districts where the micro-production of alcohol is allowed. In all applicable districts, the use is designated as "PC," meaning it is permitted subject to the prescribed conditions found in the use regulations [Table 15-1].

Category	Zoning Districts	Permission
Commercial Districts	CG General Commercial, CR Regional Commercial	PC
Campus Districts	RC Research Campus	PC
Manufacturing Districts	ML-1 and ML-2 Manufacturing and Logistics	PC
Innovation Districts	IMU Innovation Mixed-Use	PC
Center Districts	NC Neighborhood Center, CAC-1 and CAC-2 Community Activity Center, RAC Regional Activity Center, UC Uptown Core, UE Uptown Edge	PC
Transit-Oriented Districts	TOD-UC Transit Urban Center, TOD-NC Transit Neighborhood Center, TOD-CC Transit Community Center, TOD-TR Transit Transition	PC

Development and Operational Standards

To operate a micro-production facility such as a brewery or micro-distillery in the City of Charlotte, developers must adhere to specific spatial and component requirements. A "Tasting Room" is defined as a designated area where guests may sample the beer, wine, or spirits produced on-site [Section 2.3].

Standard	Requirement
Required Components	Must include a restaurant, bar, and/or tasting room within the same building [Section 15.4.FFF.1]
Minimum Tasting Room Size	At least 20% of the total square footage or 1,500 square feet, whichever is less [Section 15.4.FFF.1]
Maximum Production Area	30,000 square feet (Standard) [Section 15.4.FFF.3]
Adaptive Reuse Incentive	60,000 square feet maximum if the building was constructed prior to 1980 [Section 15.4.FFF.3]
Retail Component	Facilities may include retail areas for the purchase of beverages manufactured on-site [Section 15.4.FFF.2]

If the production facilities exceed these maximum square footage limits, the City of Charlotte classifies the facility as an "Industrial, Light" use rather than "Micro-Production of Alcohol" [Section 15.4.FFF.3].

Off-Street Vehicle Parking Requirements

Parking requirements for micro-production facilities in the City of Charlotte are determined by a tier system based on the intensity of the zoning district. Minimum requirements often exclude the square footage dedicated specifically to brewing/production facilities [Table 19-1].

Parking Tier	Zoning Districts	Minimum Requirement
Tier 1	ML-1, ML-2	1 space per 750sf GFA + 50% of outdoor seating area (excludes brewing facilities)
Tier 2	IMU, RC, NC, CAC-1, CG, CR	1 space per 1,000sf GFA + 50% of outdoor seating area (excludes brewing facilities)
Tier 3	CAC-2, TOD-UC, TOD-NC, TOD-CC, TOD-TR, RAC, UC, UE	1 space per 250sf GFA + 50% of outdoor seating area (excludes brewing facilities)

Note: In some districts (like Neighborhood 1 Place Types), if the facility is within 400 feet of a Neighborhood 1 district, additional minimums may apply [Table 19-1].

Sections Cited

• Section 2.3: General Definitions
• Table 15-1: Use Matrix
• Section 15.3: Use Definitions
• Section 15.4.FFF: Micro-Production of Alcohol (Prescribed Conditions)
• Table 19-1: Vehicle Parking Requirements