Brewing the Old and the New

Posted on July 7, 2017

Developer creates places by blending history

Marty Kotis ’91 has a way of combining the old with the very old to create something new.

When he launched Pig Pounder Brewery in Greensboro a few years ago, the name was inspired by a beer served in the 1980s at the old Darryl’s restaurant chain that was popular in the Triangle: The 16-ounce bottled beer’s label had a pig face on it, and 16 ounces is a pound. The brewery also uses malts from British supplier Thomas Fawcett & Sons, owned by the family of James Fawcett ’88 since the early 19th century.

Kotis, through his Kick Ass Concepts, has brought to life other dining and entertainment concepts, and he’s kept Darryl’s alive, reviving the only remaining location in Greensboro as Darryl’s Wood-Fired Grill. “Darryl’s is a lot of fun; that’s why people remember it,” Kotis said.

For those and other restaurant developments that have been pumping new life into his hometown of Greensboro, Kotis was recognized as 2016’s Restaurateur of the Year by the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association.

Kotis’ primary business is real estate development, mainly in Greensboro, where he focuses on turning around infill commercial spaces. In contrast to private-equity or merchant-based investors who want to buy a property, flip it for a profit and leave, Kotis buys, renovates and holds in areas where prosperity peaked long ago, aiming to bring renewed vibrancy to entire corridors. Kotis scouts raw land as well as vacant or under-utilized buildings such as old warehouses or shuttered movie theaters. He has developed space for more than 300 restaurants.

When he builds from scratch, Kotis likes to use reclaimed materials such as thick timbers, wide-plank flooring and bricks to make new buildings look as if they have a history.

The Traveled Farmer, which opened last year, is an example of combining the old and the new. Furnished with 100-year-old reclaimed, hand-milled wood, the restaurant and market features locally grown and crafted ingredients, such as the “garden to glass” Pea Shooter cocktail, mixed with gin from Greensboro, sugar snap peas, lemon-basil shrub and ginger extract.

“I build things that inspire people to say, ‘What did that used to be?’ ” Kotis said. “Tenants won’t pay more for the look, but they’ll be more successful, and they’ll stay longer. That’s more sustainable.”

— Nancy E. Oates