Mars Theatre Brewing's new owners call venue Mars Hill's own 'little Cheers'

MARS HILL - Mars Theatre Brewing has undergone a lot of change since new ownership took over the business operations a little more than a year ago.

Owner Scott Spruill celebrated the new ownership's anniversary in October. Spruill runs the Mars Hill brewery, while his brother runs the Chimney Rock location.

Before Spruill took over, the brewery was called Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery, a name which many, including Spruill, said never made much sense.

"Sometimes you've got to dumb it down to be right," Spruill said. "This is Mars Theatre Brewing Company. It's Mars Theatre. And we renamed Chimney Rock to Chimney Rock Brewing Company. We're in Chimney Rock, so we simplified things from a name standpoint.

"I've been coming to Lake Lure for 15 years, because my brother has lived there," Spruill said. "We'd have father-son weekends. We'd always go to the brewery in Chimney Rock."

Spruill was living in New Jersey, but after his son, Scotty Jr., died from an asthma attack in January 2021 at 20 years old, he said he and the family needed to get away.

"I had lost my son, so I needed to get out of New Jersey and come here," Spruill said. "He died in my arms. It was like a freak thing. I have two daughters also, so we just needed a new start. So, I relocated and bought a place in Barnardsville.

"We came out, and I looked at this theater, and was like, 'Man, there's so much potential here.' This is just a kickass building. The bones are good. The history is great."

Spruill's sister is a silent partner as well. He said the family operation is a welcome distraction for his brother, too, as his brother's wife is battling late-stage Alzheimer's.

"So, we were both going through these very difficult times. We both always loved craft beer, and now we're both involved in the craft beer business," Spruill said. "You couldn't ask for a better outlet or distraction for what we're going through."

Since buying the building, Spruill said he has made a number of renovations, including adding chandeliers and adding rock walls.

The intention behind these renovations is to revitalize the building and turn what was once considered simply a brewery into a venue.

"We're not just a brewery, we're a venue. We have live music, karaoke, open mic," Spruill said. "We have live music every weekend."

On the walls are paintings of some of Spruill's favorite rock stars, including Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia and New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen.

Part of the venue's reinvention involves Spruill showing movies on Sundays, as well.

"I'm keeping the theater going," Spruill said. "I've got to show a movie here. It's a 1947 movie theater. I've got a theater, so I want to give back to the community."

On Sundays, Mars Theatre hosts a matinee aimed at children at 1:30 p.m. and then holds a 4:30 p.m. slot for an adult movie.

'Our little Cheers'

Being community-oriented is a focus that Spruill has been very intentional about implementing at the venue.

"It's our own little 'Cheers,'" Spruill said. "We have our Norm and our Cliff who come here all the time. But then we're getting way more tourists, and more people from Asheville are coming out. The only promotion I do is Facebook, because I wanted it to grow organically and let it just kind of happen naturally.

"We weren't in a mad rush. We're OK financially. Chimney Rock is a moneymaker, so that really subsidizes this place, and allows me to have this as a hobby and keep the history of the building alive. So it's really cool."

On Oct. 5, Spruill and staff hosted a fundraiser for Teresa Ramsay, the Mars Hill postal worker who was shot and had her mail vehicle carjacked in September.

"She is such a great gal," Spruill said. "She would sit over there in that corner. I'm going to name it 'Teresa's Corner.' She was a regular. So we all knew her. When we heard it happened, we thought, 'It couldn't have happened to a sweeter, nicer gal.' She worked hard. She's a single mom with two kids. She's got amazing spirit."

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Spruill said five bands played at the fundraiser, and the auction at the event raised close to $10,000 to be donated to a GoFundMe started by Ramsay's daughter, Scarlet.

According to Spruill, Mars Hill Baptist Church collected $2,300 for Ramsay also.

"We had a great benefit for her. It was a great night," Spruill said. "Her daughter was in a band, and they hadn't played for like six months. So, they reunited that night and did like five songs."

During the college's homecoming weekend, the venue hosted three reunion parties, and a sorority also rented out the space.

"They rented the whole space out for three hours, and they put their pictures up of all the girls over three years," Spruill said. "People want to rent it out. It's great for reunions. People can show clips and video of family and stuff. We have to get our business plan up to speed for events, because it's a different ballgame. So, we're open to that."

The community has embraced the new owners as well, according to Spruill.

"They love us. I've made friends for life," Spruill said. "I was just up at a cabin with a couple that I met here, with my wife. They've just embraced us. The town administration's embraced us. The town police, the fire. Which is nice because there is an old political regime, and they like their little sleepy town.

"But I think they know they need to do this, when you see Weaverville, you see Marshall, you see Burnsville. All these people are coming out of Asheville, and these boutique towns are becoming cool little historic spots to visit."

Brewery

Philip Shepard is the new brewer on staff at Mars Theatre Brewing. Shepard has worked 13 years as a brewer, including nine years at The Oyster House in Asheville.

"I live up here, so it was just serendipity that this came up," said Shepard, a former graphic designer who grew up in Alabama. "I found their email and contacted them. I just wanted to be closer to home. It's been nice to come in and kind of just go through everything."

Shepard lives in Forks of Ivy.

Spruill told The News-Record the partnership between Shepard and the brewery was "a perfect marriage."

"He's the brewer we always wanted," the owner said. "Philip can come in on a Sunday just to check a fermenter. So, it's a good marriage."

He said the Mars Theatre brewhouse will produce roughly 4,200 "sixtel" kegs, which are 1/6 the size of a regular keg, hence the term. This averages out to nearly 22,000 gallons of beer annually.

The brewhouse uses a seven-barrel system.

According to Spruill, Mars Theatre has been very deliberate about trying to target the younger crowd, as the university is right up the street.

"We want to introduce the young generation to craft beer. So what we do is we bring a keg of Coors in, and we charge $3 for Coors, because that's what they like to drink," Spruill said. "But then as they're here, we're like, 'Hey, try this,' to try to get the young generation to drink craft beer. And they're warming right up to craft beer."

The venue also offers wine and spritzers.

As for food, the venue is offering more American fare items, including meatball subs, chicken sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks.

"My wife's taking over the kitchen, so we're getting consistency there," Spruill said. "I want consistency. I really want to make this an eatery as well as a brewery, because Mars Hill doesn't have a ton of places to eat."

The owner said the Mars Hill venue plans to build the deck out to add seating for five or six more tables.

While a number of residents have turned the Mars Hill brewery into their own "little 'Cheers,'" Spruill said the business has been an endeavor that has allowed him to keep his strength through his grief.

"It's been a year and eight months since I lost my boy," Spruill said. "It's been a battle every day. But this at least gives me something to kind of keep going."

Mars Theatre Brewing Company is located at 70 N. Main St. in Mars Hill.

The venue is open Thursday from 4-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. For more information, visit its Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Mars Theatre Brewing's new owners: Venue is town's own 'little Cheers'