People come here for food, drink and music, but they stay for the sense of community.
When torrential rains flooded Westover Market & Beer Garden in July 2019, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage and threatening its future, the community rallied together, launching a GoFundMe campaign that helped the beloved family-owned market recover. Just months later, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, co-owner and manager Devin Hicks recalls, “We knew we had to go above and beyond for our customers and community.” Westover not only ensured a safe shopping experience—and eventually—a safe environment for patrons to unwind in the beer garden, but they also set up a free grocery delivery service to assist neighborhood seniors.
Now, as Westover Market celebrates 20 years, its team reflects on two decades of growth and community impact with pride and appreciation. “It’s impossible to encapsulate 20 years in 250 words,” Hicks says. When his parents bought the store in 2005, the plan was to establish a beer garden to add vibrancy to the historic Westover commercial district. Through perseverance and a deep commitment to the neighborhood, Westover Market & Beer Garden, which proudly offers the best local, organic, hormone-free meats, fresh produce, top-quality grocery products—and an extensive beer selection known as “The Great Wall of Beer,”—became a cornerstone of the area’s revival. Today, Westover is thriving.
“We’re proud of our role in helping rebuild this community’s vitality,” Hicks says. “People come here for food, drink and music, but they stay for the sense of community. We’ve had couples meet, fall in love, get engaged and even celebrate their weddings in our beer garden. A few years later, they’re bringing their children.”