Hot Spot Downtown Spartanburg Wins “Best Beer Store” for Fifth Straight Year

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Aug. 2025

Hot Spot’s flagship Hop Spot craft-beer program at 194 E. Henry St. has been voted #1 Best Beer Store in the Herald-Journal’s 2025 Best of Spartanburg Community’s Choice Awards—the location’s fifth consecutive win. The community also honored Hot Spot as #1 Best Employer for the second straight year and Best Eco-Friendly Business for the first time.

“We’re honored and grateful. As a no-frills neighborhood shop, we’ve built our reputation on disciplined sourcing, full refrigeration for perishables, and everyday fair prices. Five years at the top tells us the formula works— and we’ll keep earning it.”
— Wilton Jordan, Craft Beverage / Vapor / Botanical Manager

Jordan, a Spartanburg native, commutes weekly from Asheville, N.C., where he also oversees Hot Spot’s legendary West Asheville store (103 New Leicester Hwy), its sister location at 1118 Brevard Rd, the Franklin, N.C. store (459 E Main St), and outpost stores in Canton, N.C. (3225 Asheville Hwy) and Landrum, S.C. (201 N Howard Ave). Read his full Wilton Jordan bio.

Customer-Led Growth

• Freshness & Variety — Dozens of fully refrigerated, exclusive releases weekly
• Fair Everyday Pricing — No “craft tax,” even as national retailers raise margins
• Sustainability — Energy-efficient refrigeration, aggressive recycling, and eco-friendly packaging initiatives recognized in this year’s voting

These pillars have helped the downtown gas-station-turned-beer-destination grow sales year-over-year while larger chains retrench.

“These awards are a direct reflection of our employees’ passion and professionalism. From greeting guests with a smile to managing complex product roll-outs, their daily efforts drive the customer loyalty that keeps Hot Spot on top year after year.”
— David Murphy, Chief Operating Officer

“Winning Best Eco-Friendly Business validates the work we’re doing—expanding in-store recycling, maintaining industry-leading gasoline containment systems, piloting an EV-charging program, and introducing eco-focused offerings like refillable vaping solutions in North Carolina. We’re committed to minimizing our impact while maximizing value for the communities we serve.”
— Shaun Holmes, Corporate Manager

A Tradition of Recognition

The 2025 accolades extend a streak documented in past coverage, including our 2023 press release and last year’s Hot Spot news post.

Join the Celebration

Check out our Instagram announcement for photos and community reactions.