by Ebony L. Morman

Pineville’s The Brass Bird is designed to look like am early 20th century general store. Photo: Michael Blevins

In the six months since opening The Brass Bird, owner Emily Hudgens has cultivated a homey environment where everyone feels like family. When patrons walk across the threshold of the mercantile and wine bar in historic downtown Pineville, it not only feels like home, it feels like a home that holds more than 100 years of history, which Hudgens thought was important to preserve.

The shelves are lined with items made in the United States by small businesses, family-owned businesses, and artisan craft makers. Because Hudgens is adamant about highlighting their stories, small plaques are placed near products for people to learn where an item was made, who made it, a family’s story, or if an artisan supports a specific cause. There’s a refrigerated section with local grab-and-go food items, a frozen food area with take-and-bake options, a retail wine section, and areas to shop for pets, kids, home goods, and home decor. There’s also an apothecary.

“It’s a good mix of that mercantile feel,” Hudgens says. “Then, we also have our wine bar, so you can sit and have wine by the glass. You can buy a bottle of wine and sit at our tables at the front or you can grab one of the charcuterie boxes out of the refrigerator.”

It’s a place where guests can stay for a while to enjoy more than a glass of wine. They can also observe the building’s history, which dates back to the 1920’s. Prior to opening, Hudgens worked with the town’s historical board to learn about preservation and how to bring value into the space while also adding her personal touch.

The Brass Bird owner Emily Hudgens. Photo: Michael Blevins

The Greenville, South Carolina native moved to Charlotte in 2006 after graduating from Winthrop University with an interior design degree. She started her first business, Theory Design Studio, in 2013. When the storefront closed in 2020, Hudgens searched for another location, found the space in Pineville, and realized it was something more than a home decor store should inhabit. History is on display here, with images of the town’s downtown and original brick walls recently revealed from behind plaster. Customers can even get a glimpse of a few of the original metal, tin ceiling tiles.

Inspiration for The Brass Bird came from her interior design experience. At the former storefront for Theory Design Studio, people came in, shopped, and felt at home. That same comfort was what she wanted to recreate.

“I always wanted to have a kind of general store,” she says. “That’s where I took my retail and design side and my love of travel and wine and combined them. I wanted to have that sip and shop mercantile.”

When patrons peruse the shop, they witness the results of Hudgens’ time and effort that went into vetting vendors and sourcing products. In the refrigerator and frozen sections, there are charcuterie boxes and dips from Off the Block Charcuterie Co; quiches, baked good, and pot pies from Thoughtful Baking Co; and made-from-scratch sandwiches, salads, lasagna, and chicken and beef enchiladas from The Butler’s Pantry.

“We want to make sure we’re offering a good, quality product and that I meet with the vendor to know their background story,” she says. “I have to know what I’m selling to a customer and that my staff knows what kind of ingredients are in products we’re going to offer customers.”

Hudgens takes a similar approach when selecting which wines to carry. Small, family wineries are her focus, with most of the wines being from places she’s personally visited, tasted wines, and wanted to share them with her customers. Current wines are from Sonoma, Napa, Oregon, and Washington.

To foster more of a community feel, Hudgens is planning to host monthly wine tasting events, which will be led by winemakers whose wines are carried in story and themes such as, wine and cheese and wine and tapas pairings. She’s also looking forward to selling North Carolina wines from Yadkin Valley and the Lake Lure area, supporting even more local small businesses through the shop.

“I’ve really enjoyed learning about the families and artisans that I have in the store,” she says. “Learning their backgrounds, how they got started, and how they took a leap of faith to start their own businesses. I identify with that as well being a small business owner. It’s been rewarding to hear their stories, know that I can have them in the store, and I can tell their stories to other people.”

One of Hudgens’ hopes was for customers to be drawn to The Brass Bird’s welcoming, neighborhood atmosphere, she says.

“That’s what I wanted, to have our regulars and to have people come in on the weekends just to see what’s new or come in and grab that bag of granola or grab a soda and snack out of the refrigerator or just come in to say hi,” she says. “When I’ve seen that happen, it lets me know that it’s successful.”