BY KIM McKINNEY

When Joe Bondi first came to Statesville, his plans didn’t extend beyond buying and flipping a few houses.

His two brothers had moved to North Carolina from Buffalo to escape the cold weather and encouraged Bondi, who was living near Chicago, to do the same.

Tired of working in a corporate job, Bondi decided to relocate to Statesville and start his first project. While renovating the house, he fell in love with the community, the music, and the lifestyle here.

He decided to stay and be a part of it.

With the profits from his first property sale, Bondi purchased a commercial building at 108 N. Center Street, figuring he would fix it up and then rent out space.

Then he had the idea to build a business around his hobby — making beer — and began transforming his property into a brewery.

Red Buffalo was born in November of 2018.

More than four years later Bondi’s eyes still light up when he talks about his venture.

“I have said it’s like having a man cave where all of your friends come visit and buy beer from you,” he said with a laugh.

The bar is front and center when you walk in the front door of Red Buffalo, an intentional move on Bondi’s part that makes it easy to greet thirsty friends. There are two rooms inside: the bar area and venue space. The courtyard out back regularly hosts food trucks and provides more space to gather. Many regulars prefer to hang out in front along the streetscape, which offers a great place to see and be seen.

Red Buffalo holds monthly events to support local nonprofits. The brewery has also hosted weddings, birthday parties and an occasional celebration of life.

Then there’s the live music. Bondi has been unwavering in his support of local musicians. When many venues paused live music during the COVID-19 pandemic, Red Buffalo continued to welcome artists.

The brewery operation is intentionally small, Bondi said. It’s plenty large to meet the needs of his clientele, who enjoy coming in for a Crossroads IPA (crafted for Red Buffalo’s third anniversary), Mouthy Blonde (named for a former waitress) or Blue’sberry Ale. Bondi is excited to add a seasonal strawberry brew to his offerings this spring.

Bondi has an interesting perspective for a brewery owner. Selling beer may be the business, but it’s not what seems to drive him. He loves the multi-generational community that has sprung up in his eclectic space.

“People may think that beer is the draw to our brewery, but it’s more than that. People come here as strangers and leave as friends. People that don’t know each other leave here exchanging phone numbers with plans to get together the next weekend,” he said. “It’s a great feeling seeing that happen.”

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the May edition of “IFN Monthly.”