Ambitious Venue in the Works for Carrollton, GA
Workhorse will open a multi-use venue featuring a distillery, a biergarten, food, a cigar lounge, and event spaces.
CARROLLTON, GA — Workhorse is in development at 202 Bradley St, Carrollton, GA 30117, though the address is subject to change as the team works with the city on assigning a formal address, owner Carter Williamson told Business Debut.
The project recently received unanimous approval from the Carrollton Planning Commission and later the City Council and mayor during a public meeting Feb. 2, Williamson said.
The news was first shared by City Menus, where we initially learned about the project.
What to Expect
Workhorse is planned as a multi-use destination built around an existing 1906 structure behind the Hudson Mill apartments. Williamson said Workhorse will combine a spirits distilling operation with a biergarten, green space, a cigar lounge, a tasting room and private areas that can be leased for meetings and events. The site will also include a tower and an indoor-outdoor covered area.
Menu and Vision
A commercial kitchen is planned, with food designed to avoid competing with nearby businesses, Williamson told Business Debut. The menu is expected to feature rotating, regionally specific items, like beef on weck sandwiches from Buffalo, NY and crawfish Monica from Louisiana.
On the beverage side, Workhorse plans to produce spirits on-site for cocktails and bottle sales, with longer-term distribution as a future goal. Williamson said the initial lineup is expected to include multiple expressions of gin in, plus a Workhorse Whiskey. The team also plans to produce a small selection of beers on-site.
Sustainability and Design
Williamson told Business Debut the project will lean heavily on reused building materials, including repurposed wood and reclaimed elements sourced from older structures. He said the exterior “skin” of the venue is planned to be built from repurposed materials dating from the early 1800s through the 1940s, with additional reclaimed masonry also being brought in for the buildout.
He also described an old-world European aesthetic, including a rustic feel in the tower and biergarten areas and design choices intended to make the venue feel older than the existing 1906 structure. Williamson said the goal is for the property to feel like it has been there since at least the mid-1800s.
The team also plans to prioritize composting where possible and avoid single-use plastics.
Ownership
Williamson told Business Debut he and his wife, Laura Williamson, will own the facility. He said the project will also include partnership with Will Hardy, who owns the Trail Hotel in Bardstown, Kentucky, and from Richard and Dana Diment, who own the building Workhorse plans to purchase.
Opening Timeline
Williamson said the team is targeting renovations beginning in May, with a projected buildout timeline of about one year. Plans call for repurposing much of the existing structure and adding roughly 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, bringing the total footprint to an estimated 11,000 square feet.
Hours
The initial operating plan is Thursday through Sunday, Williamson told Business Debut. Hours are expected to be around 10 a.m.—11 p.m., with Sundays opening around 12:30 p.m. and closing around 10 or 11 p.m., based on city restrictions.
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