About The Hop Shop

Good beer will get you far, but the right environment is everything. That’s why we’ve created a coffee shop for beer in one of Charlotte’s funkiest neighborhoods. Bring your book, your friends, your dog (bring all three) and come hang out. We’re your local craft beer haven. Grab and go or stay and play. It’s up to you.

In The Beginning

What began in 2016 as a vision of a local entrepreneur to create a welcoming space for locals to enjoy a relaxing spirited beverage with the person of their choice and enjoy a conversation in not just a cool, eclectic environment but also a relaxing one, has blossomed into one of Charlotte’s best and arguably only establishments to do just that. How did Patrick Villafane pull that off? Well, simply. Always believe in the product you offer, create a space like no other in the city, and surround yourself with highly competent visionaries such as yourself and get to know the people that frequent your business and not treat them like customers, but like friends and family.

Fast forward circa 2020, it was that very feeling of friends and family that gave Jeff Turner, a long-time frequenter of The Hop Shop, the idea to bring along his even longer-time friend Paul Cook in for a drink. What was supposed to be a visit between old work pals and favorite traveling buddies subsequently turned into talk of becoming business partners. At that moment, after being best friends for 35 years, Paul said to Jeff that evening,” If this place were to ever go up for sale, I would love to own this with you.” And they say the rest is history, however let’s briefly open the books to each owner’s personal history to help you fully grasp how unlikely these two were destined to be in a business partnership together.

Humble Origins

Jeff was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. His family roots trace back over 5 generations there. He graduated from Ashbrook HS in 1976 and in 1977 enlisted in the US Army where he proudly served active duty from 1977 to 1986 and attained the rank of Chief Warrant Officer-2. Jeff began his military career in infantry and eventually climbed through the ranks and became a helicopter pilot. In 1986, he was hired by the FAA to become an Air Traffic Controller. Jeff worked in ATC for 22 years before hanging up his headset in 2008. Subsequently, he went to work with numerous aviation contractors for a few years before venturing into various business endeavors.

Paul was born in Dundalk, MD. His father, Paul Sr., was born in Bakersville, North Carolina, and had 12 brothers and sisters. Paul (Jr.) spent much of his childhood visiting his countless cousins in the Charlotte and Asheville area and has always considered North Carolina his surrogate home. Like Jeff, Paul proudly served in the military. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1981 and served as a Communications Chief in an artillery unit until 1985. He finished his career achieving a meritorious promotion to the rank of Sergeant. He then went into the FAA in 1987 and worked as an Air Traffic Controller until 2019. Unlike Jeff, Paul slipped into retirement venturing into home projects and blissful idleness.

The Planets Align

The old saying of "you don’t pick your family but you do pick your friends" by and large holds true. But sometimes, there’s just an inexplicable force that attracts two people to meet on either a professional or personal level. Nothing could be more evident of that than Jeff and Paul’s encounter. After starting his career in Atlanta ATC Center, Jeff decided for personal reasons he wanted to transfer to Washington D.C. Center in 1988, located in Leesburg, Virginia. Paul was already working there and was going through his training phase. As fate would have it, Jeff was assigned to the same area as Paul and the same crew. The odds of this are quite astronomical since Washington Center was the home of over 300 controllers, which housed 6 different areas each having 7 crews. Without hesitation, their shared interests of aviation excellence and workplace laughter quickly turned into a lifelong bond of friendship for the pair. Outside of work, the two share many beverages together to even further that bond.

They only worked together for a couple of years. Since Paul was going through the training process that Jeff had completed, Jeff agreed to train Paul on a couple of radar sectors. Early years in the Air Traffic Control profession are quite impactful. And although Jeff eventually went back to Charlotte International Airport in the latter part of his career, they still today share stories of the early years of ATC for them both. So, if you have ever flown on the East Coast from New York to Florida, it is quite likely that one or possibly both have kept you safe while in the sky above!

Beer Happens

As earlier stated, they both shared many beverages together. As the American microbrewery phenomenon started to heat up in the late 80s, they were lucky enough to be located in the Washington D.C. metro area because of the close proximity of some of these breweries. They found themselves seeking to expand their knowledge and opportunities to sample the products of this new dynamic beer market. As luck would have it, a taproom in DC named The Brickskeller hosted monthly tastings and invited brewers from around the world to showcase their libations. Although too many to mention, the two that stand out the most were meeting Pierre Celis and the famous writer Michael Jackson. Many of you may know him by his nickname and self-titled show, The Beer Hunter.

After reconnecting in the 2000s, they decided to expand their experiences overseas. From the shores of St. Andrews, Scotland to the Salt Mines of Krakow, Poland, Jeff and Paul have traveled all through the U.K. and Europe to try to experience every malted barley, yeast, and hops beverage the regions had to offer. Their vast knowledge in both the brewing and fermentation process is noteworthy. But it’s not just their love of the best handcrafted beers in the world, it’s their undying desire to share these fine beverages with anyone and everyone that passes their way, that makes them so unique.

Hoppy Days

After acquiring The Hop Shop on May 1, 2023, Jeff and Paul's first decision was much like Patrick's in the beginning. Continue the vision, attempt to be the brains and brawn to improve all levels of a customer's experience, but more importantly, keep the continuity of the environment that was created. And no better decision has solidified that challenge than to retain the heart and soul of the operation, our manager Tamara. Her expertise in beer and wine is only outdone by her uncanny ability to make every patron in the bar feel welcome and appreciated. But please don’t be offended if she greets your dog first with a yummy treat that she keeps behind the bar. We are also forever grateful to all that have worked there and to those that are still employed at The Hop Shop. Our staff is second to none!

So come give The Hop Shop a try. A slogan from a sitcom in the 80s, “Where everybody knows your name,” may not hold completely true here, but if you stop by and share a beverage and a laugh with us, I promise you, we’ll get to know it…Cheers!