By Dathan Kazsuk
There’s a new gravitational pull in Five Points, and it’s coming from a massive blue warehouse you’ve probably stared at for years while thinking, someone should do something cool with that. Trophy Brewing heard you. Trophy Five Points—22,000 square feet of beer, pizza, cocktails, firepits, and future mayhem—is officially open, and co-owner Chris Powers walked us through the entire thing to show just how big this project really is.
We met Chris at the front doors, neon Trophy sign glowing behind him, and took a full tour of Raleigh’s newest food-and-drink playground. Here’s everything you need to know.
Step inside and Trophy hits you with its signature glow—but bigger. The real neon sign? Made right here in Raleigh.
Every corner has a human touch. “All the woodwork in here was done by one guy,” Powers says. That one guy is Brian of Rebuild Fabrication Co.
The layout flows intentionally: dining room to the right, a 16-seat bar to the left, soft seating tucked around corners, greenery everywhere. Trophy wants you to show up for dinner but stay for a drink … or two … or whatever your night becomes.
As Chris leads us into the dining area, he points out the two sides of the experience. “This side is more of the bar—more casual,” he says. “The pizza side will be a more sit-down, more ‘restauranty’ vibe.”
And yes, the kitchen is a beast.
“This thing is built for capacity and speed,” Chris says, walking us past the new prep line. “We have two triple-decker Bakers Pride ovens—more capacity than we have on Morgan Street.” Translation: your pizza is going to hit the table faster.
They’ve even preserved the building’s original blueprints from 1959, installed on the walls near the restrooms. A small detail, but very Trophy: a wink to history inside a building fully rewritten.
Outside, the main patio is already heated and covered, seating around 80 people with four firepits whispering seductive things like you don’t have to go home yet.
But the rooftop-style patio out back? That’s coming soon.
“We have access to a really incredible view of downtown,” Chris says as we stand beside the trees waiting for their winter trim. “We’ll clean them up and open the view—there’s a whole skyline right there.”
There’s even a custom boat bar in the back—yes, a boat—refinished by a friend. Because why wouldn’t there be?
“This is the event space—well, really the game room,” Chris explains as we step into a cavernous 9,000-square-foot area still under construction. “We have four duckpin bowling lanes, plans for two golf simulators, vintage games, and a custom photo booth coming.”
Will it be rentable for private events? Yes. Will it also be open to the public? Also yes. “It will never just be closed unless it’s rented,” he says.
Chef John Amaro has Trophy’s food dialed in. Your beloved Most Loyal returns, but sits beside some new heavy hitters: The Gold Standard with brisket and cashew cream, Winner Winner with crispy chicken cutlet, and The G.O.A.T.—a meatball-and-chimichurri play that should not work but absolutely does.
From salads and sandwiches to puppy ice cream, every family member is covered.
“So this is our third Trophy,” Chris explains, “and our seventh location overall when you count Young Hearts, The Bend, and Maywood Hall.”
That’s a lot of moving parts for one team—but they’ve built a system that lets them grow without losing the human connection.
“As our team continues to grow, we get more confidence to do more projects,” Chris says. “We always promote from within. That gives us freedom.”
The beer program is evolving right along with the space.
“There’s been a huge shift away from stunt beers,” Chris says. “More people want clean, refreshing beers—light lagers and volume beers.”
But don’t think that means Trophy stopped experimenting.
“We’re getting ready to release our very first méthode traditionnelle—our version of an American lambic. It’s been a three-year project. A blend of one-, two-, and three-year-old beers—all North Carolina ingredients.”
It’s the most excited Chris has sounded all day, and understandably so. It even got me a little excited.
The beverage world is changing—fast. And Trophy is adapting.
“We started making THC beverages because a lot of people our age have stopped drinking,” Chris says. “They still want to be social, so we offer other things. At our heart, we are a beverage company.”
Trophy also controls its own distribution, which Chris says keeps them closer to customers.
“There’s less of a gap. Customer service stays at 100%. Once you get into big distribution deals, that all changes.”
Is Trophy done growing? Chris just smiles.
“As our team grows, we’ll see. I won’t say never.”
