Flytrap Brewing

What Flytrap Brewing does

Flytrap Brewing is a privately held neighborhood craft brewery founded on October 15, 2014 by Mike Barlas, who began home-brewing while earning his MBA at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The company operates from a single location at 319 Walnut Street in the Brooklyn Arts District of Historic Downtown Wilmington, NC — an old office building converted into a brewery, taproom, and Beer Garden — and specializes in small-batch American and Belgian style ales brewed for peak freshness. The business is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no institutional investors, private equity involvement, or external funding disclosed; headcount falls in the 11-50 employee range.

The core product is on-site craft beer sold by the pint in the Beer Garden, supplemented by to-go sales of bottles and 32oz Crowlers (ordered by phone). The portfolio includes a core beer lineup alongside rotating seasonals and limited-edition releases (the brewery has commemorated its 7th and 8th anniversaries with dedicated Pilsner and goblet releases), a curated wine list, and non-alcoholic beverages. A secondary revenue stream comes from branded merchandise — apparel (Bella + Canvas crewnecks, Live and Tell tees), 14 oz tulip glassware, anniversary goblets, stickers, and handmade hop-shaped dog treats (Millie's Lil' Biscuits) produced by head brewer Alexis from spent brewer's grain — sold both in the taproom and via a Squarespace-powered e-commerce storefront, with printable gift cards available in $10-$100 denominations.

The go-to-market motion is purely direct-to-consumer and geographically constrained to Wilmington, with no wholesale, distribution, or multi-location footprint disclosed. Marketing relies on organic social, an email newsletter, and community programming — six curated solo art exhibitions per year (the 2026 calendar is filled and 2027 submissions are being accepted), live music, food trucks, artisan markets, and corporate event hosting at the venue (subject to capacity restrictions). Pricing is unit-based for merchandise; beer and wine prices are not publicly disclosed on the website.

Name

Flytrap Brewing

Legal name

Flytrap Brewing

Website

https://flytrapbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Flytrap Brewing is a privately held, single-location neighborhood craft brewery in Wilmington, NC, founded in 2014, specializing in small-batch American and Belgian style ales served in an on-site Beer Garden and sold to-go, with merchandise and rotating local art exhibitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Small-batch brewing
• Taproom operations
• Brewery merchandise
• American Belgian ales

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. On-site Beer and Wine Sales: Taproom sales of freshly brewed craft beers and wines for on-premises consumption in the Beer Garden. Small-batch brewing ensures peak freshness.
2. To-Go Beer Sales: Sale of bottles and 32oz Crowlers for off-premises consumption.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, glassware, stickers, and dog treats through both in-person and online channels.
4. Gift Cards: Printable gift certificates available in denominations from $10 to $100, redeemable for both beer and merchandise at the brewery or online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Flytrap Brewing is a neighborhood craft brewery that produces small-batch American and Belgian style ales and operates a taproom with a Beer Garden in the Brooklyn Arts District of Historic Downtown Wilmington, NC. The brewery sells pints for on-site consumption along with bottles and 32oz Crowlers for take-out, complemented by a wine list, non-alcoholic beverages, branded merchandise (apparel, glassware, stickers, dog treats), printable gift cards, event hosting, and rotating local art exhibitions.

Product overview

Flytrap Brewing is a neighborhood craft brewery offering a diverse portfolio of small-batch beers and hospitality services. The core product is craft beer specializing in American and Belgian style ales, available for on-site consumption in the Beer Garden and to-go as bottles and 32oz Crowlers. The portfolio includes a rotating selection of core beers and seasonal releases alongside a wine list and non-alcoholic beverages. Merchandise includes branded apparel (sweatshirts, t-shirts), glassware (tulip glasses, anniversary goblets), dog treats made from spent brewer's grain, stickers, and gift cards. The company also offers venue rentals for events and displays rotating local art exhibitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer (American and Belgian Style Ales) Small-batch craft beers specializing in American and Belgian style ales, brewed to peak freshness for on-site consumption in the Beer Garden and to-go sales in bottles and 32oz Crowlers.
• Core Beer Lineup + Rotating Seasonals

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Large national craft brewer with taproom and broad distribution. Provides a comparable reference point for craft beer production, taproom, and merch/gift card programming at greater scale.
• Dogfish Head Brewery: Independent craft brewery known for small-batch experimental ales and a strong taproom/hospitality model. Comparable in style-driven craft positioning, brewery tours, and branded merchandise.
• Allagash Brewing Company: Belgian-style ale specialist with brewery tours and taproom experience. Comparable in style specialization (Belgian ales), small-batch craft positioning, and taproom-led GTM.
• New Belgium Brewing: Large craft brewer with taproom and tour experiences. Comparable in producing a portfolio of craft ales plus a branded merchandise program and community-driven taproom.

Regional players

• Hi-Wire Brewing: Asheville, NC-based craft brewery with taprooms across the Carolinas. Comparable in craft beer specialization and taproom-driven GTM, though larger and broader in geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Good Hops Brewing: Carolina Beach-area craft brewery with a taproom and small-batch production. Comparable in scale, neighborhood-brewery positioning, and style focus to Flytrap Brewing.
• Wilmington Brewing Company: Independent craft brewery operating a taproom in Wilmington, NC. Direct local competitor in the same geographic market with overlapping small-batch craft beer and taproom experience.
• Front Street Brewery: Historic Wilmington craft brewery with on-site taproom and restaurant. Comparable in combining small-batch brewing with a hospitality-forward taproom experience serving the same local market.
• Ironclad Brewery: Wilmington-based craft brewery with taproom focused on small-batch beers. Direct peer competing for the same craft beer enthusiast segment in downtown Wilmington.
• Broomtail Craft Brewery: Wilmington-area small craft brewery operating a taproom. Direct local peer with similar small-batch brewing model and DTC taproom focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flytrap-brewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flytrap Brewing