Frank’s Beer Shop Is the Cozy Bar Commonwealth Park Needed

As if the previous weekend’s icy apocalypse wasn’t enough, Mother Nature stood 10 toes down and dumped 11 whole inches of snow on the Queen City. While most of Charlotte’s weekend hot spots chose survival mode and shut it down early, a fearless few looked outside, shrugged and said, “Well, frankly, my dear, we don’t give a damn.”

Enter Frank’s Beer Shop, a love letter from owner Joe Smaldone to the Commonwealth Park neighborhood.

With only nine months in the game, Frank’s not only pushed back on the buzzkill that the snow brought on but shattered sales records in the middle of a full-blown snowmageddon and broke my IG algorithm, triggering immediate FOMO.

I’d been putting off my visit, but after watching story after story of patrons spilling out of the seams onto a snow-covered patio, I knew I had to get in on the action even if my car wouldn’t. In Lyft we trust.

A living room disguised as a beer shop

From the moment you step inside the small but mighty beer shop, olive green walls lined with eclectic prints, family photos and intimate vintage seating invite you into an immediate home away from home. Decorative string lights warm the dim space and the always-filled L-shaped bar makes it feel less like a bar and more like you’ve wandered into someone’s living room — drink already waiting.

Behind the bar, “Other Joe,” the beloved bartender christened by the regulars who needed a distinction, greets you with a grin so genuine it says, “I’m just happy to be here.” It’s the kind of smile that has you immediately negotiating with yourself when he breaks the news that they’ve sold out of nearly everything you thought you wanted. Sauvignon blanc and a West Coast IPA, it is.

“Who do you think it’s named after?” the boo asked, echoing my own curiosity as I took it all in from our nook beside a Nintendo 64 and a record player. I usually avoid chatting with the owner to steer clear of bias, but as the cold faded with each sip and the sense of communion grew, I had to know the story behind the vibe.

The story behind Frank (and the beer that keeps giving back)

Joe S: “It’s named after my dog Frank. I got him when I was a senior at Ithaca College in New York in 2012. He was a 1-year-old rescue—his first owners had broken up and couldn’t take care of him anymore. I saw the Craigslist post and picked him up later that week. Frank became my best friend, traveling with me from Ithaca to Chapel Hill, Tampa and Houston … before we finally settled in Charlotte in 2018.

Smaldone was a graphic designer at the time, launching a business named after Frank and selling artwork locally at pop-ups like Front Porch Sundays.

“Everything was based on Frank,” he said. “When I started pivoting toward beer and brewing, it was only natural to carry his name over.”

Though Frank crossed the rainbow bridge in 2023, his spirit is everywhere in the beer shop — from the merch to a cozy corner where a pup naps. The shop’s bestseller is one of Joe’s original recipes, Frank’s Blonde Ale, brewed in partnership with Pilot Brewing.

Even better, Frank’s donates 25 cents from every pint sold to local rescues.

“I’ve always wanted my own place,” he said. “I started homebrewing in 2020 and even created an Instagram account for it. I named all my beers and created labels around Frank. I kind of pretended to be a real brewery—enough that random people would message me asking where they could buy the beer. My wife and I would throw parties at our house — FranktoberFest, Frankapalooza — complete with a live band and my beer on tap for friends. The hope was that one day I could open a real spot.

He looked for a space for three years but found most locations to be either too expensive or in bad locations.

“I just wanted a small neighborhood spot,” he said. “Finally, it came down to either do it or give up, and then I found the space we’re in now. The price was reasonable, it felt like a good neighborhood, and we decided to sign the lease and see if it could work.”

From that point on, Frank’s became a labor of love. Outside of plumbing and electrical work, everything inside and out was completed by Joe and his father with a little help from Habitat Restore, Facebook Marketplace, the unwavering support of his wife Leigha and, of course, the spirit of Frank.

Funnily enough, Joe had no prior service industry experience. The day Frank’s opened was his first day as a bartender in a neighborhood he knew nothing about. And yet, what started as a home-brewed dream has turned into a business that feels like it has always belonged in the community.

Joe told me the support from the neighborhood and community has been unbelievable, and It’s still hard for him to comprehend.

“I get overwhelmed sometimes thinking about it,” he admitted. “But everyone in this neighborhood is so supportive. People thank me all the time for opening and I’m just like, ‘I should be thanking you for coming here.’ It’s just really become such a communal space for the neighborhood — a place for people to meet neighbors, share a drink and hangout. Families, kids, dogs, we just really try to be welcoming to everyone.

The other big surprise for Joe? The merch has been a hit.

“People really love the merch,” he told me. “It’s way beyond what I ever thought. I’m always hearing from people how they saw somebody wearing a Frank’s hat or shirt around Charlotte or beyond. People are always coming in wearing Frank’s merch like they’re wearing a jersey at a game. It’s just unbelievable how much people want to support and rep Frank’s.”

To be frank, after one quick visit the forecast is clear: There’s a 100% chance that snow days, and most days, are best spent at Frank’s.

Grab your furbaby, suss out secret menu items including Malört (did I forget to mention they have a liquor license?), and prep for longer days as Joe teases a partnership with Enderly Coffee.

Frank’s Beer Shop is located at 3348 Commonwealth Ave., across the street from Repo Record. Check them out at franksbeershop.com.