NORFOLK, Va. — A brewery known for its German-style beers and pizza is betting big on one of Norfolk’s most historic and fast-changing neighborhoods.
Wasserhund Brewing Company has opened a new location on Granby Street in the Railroad District, a pocket of the city that falls within the Park Place neighborhood and has seen a wave of small-business investment over the last several years.
Co-owner Christine Holley said Park Place felt different from the start.
“Park Place is a really unique spot within Norfolk,” she said. “They’re really trying to develop the area with some really unique shops… the guy that built these tables is literally across the street. He forklifted them over.”
The new taproom and restaurant, which officially opened on Veterans Day, is Wasserhund’s third location in Hampton Roads, joining existing spots in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
Holley said the company’s growth has always been intentionally local. Instead of distributing widely and expanding far outside the region, she said the goal is to embed themselves in specific communities.
“Our focus is, how can we become the cornerstone brewery in everyone’s neighborhood,” she said. “When someone is looking for their neighborhood beer and pizza place, we want them to think of us.”
The building Wasserhund now occupies has long been part of Park Place’s commercial fabric. Before the beer taps and pizza ovens, it housed a thrift store and, before that, an army surplus shop.
“[The building owner] showed us pictures of it. It’s really cool.”
The team preserved the original tile floors and brickwork and commissioned local artists to paint custom sound panels that now decorate the walls.
Holley’s arrival comes as Park Place continues to see growth from entrepreneurs who have anchored the block with cultural spaces, retail shops and food concepts.
Over the past year, several business owners have described Park Place as a creative corridor and, in some cases, the heart of Norfolk’s small-business movement.
Sean Washington, Norfolk’s director of economic development, said Park Place’s identity is central to its success.
“There’s always been a very proud community in Park Place,” Washington said. “It has a history that the area and the city as a whole has been proud of.”
He said Norfolk is a city made up of “communities within a larger community,” and that Park Place offers a distinctive look and feel that continues to attract new residents and retailers.
Washington said one of the next major developments is the Newport Gardens Apartments, a nearby residential project preparing for a ribbon cutting. He said new housing helps fuel the neighborhood’s business corridor.
“In order for retail to be vibrant and successful, you have to have rooftops and you have to have disposable income,” he said. “The residential units coming in help drive commercial and retail vibrancy.”
For Holley, being part of that growth means showing that Wasserhund isn’t just moving into Park Place — they’re committing to it. She acknowledged that neighbors have seen businesses come and go and said it’s important to build trust.
“There’s been some companies that have come and gone,” Holley said. “So for us, it’s about forming relationships and saying, ‘No — we want to be part of the community in the right way.’”
Holley said being a “good neighbor” starts with creating a space where anyone feels welcome.
“How can you accommodate everyone? How do you make sure anyone that walks in the door has something they want?” she said. “We serve non-alcoholic beer, soda, wine, gluten-free drinks… we just started offering THC drinks… so everyone has an option when they walk in the door.”
The arcade tucked into the corner of the restaurant, she added, is meant for families — and adults who want to play, too.
Holley said the next step is to support the organizations already doing the work on the ground.
Wasserhund has scheduled its first Norfolk-based fundraiser to support Village Family, a nonprofit that serves families in the area.
“You can’t say you’re part of a community if you’re not looking at where the gaps are, and the things that you can do to support and grow and really lift up a community,” she said.
Washington said that combination of authenticity and community-minded business is exactly what’s driving Park Place’s resurgence.
“Those who are thriving in other cities such as Virginia Beach or Chesapeake or Suffolk are turning back to Norfolk and saying, ‘Hey, look, I want a part of that very unique character, look and feel that you can only get in Norfolk,’” he said.
With new businesses, new residents and more investment moving in, Holley said she wants Wasserhund to grow with the neighborhood, not ahead of it.
“Instead of expanding outside of the Hampton Roads area, our focus is how can we become the cornerstone brewery in everyone’s neighborhood,” she said.
