History

The Old Creamery is more than an architectural gem. It is a symbol of Concord’s industrial past. Since the early 1900s, residents in this region have taken pride in the Cabarrus Creamery and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the two original businesses located on site. The Cabarrus Creamery has a history stretching back to the early 1900s. The Burrage family started a cooperative dairy in downtown Concord that bottled milk from local farmers and distributed it throughout the region. After starting a successful ice cream brand called Cabarrus Ideal, they built the existing Church Street facility in 1940. The building was originally art-deco style architecture before being brick veneered later. Over time, the business evolved to include condensed milk, butter, milk powder and other dairy products.

Located in the heart of Concord, the Cabarrus Creamery was a favorite gathering spot for generations, and its ice cream was celebrated locally and regionally. The Charlotte Coca-Cola Bottling Company established a facility next to the Cabarrus Creamery in 1936. Owned and operated by the Snyder family of Charlotte, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Concord was part of a successful network of bottling companies across the region.

Similar to the Creamery building, the Coca-Cola building opened its doors to the public by hosting school field trips, ballroom dancing lessons, parade parties and other civic activities. In the early 1970s, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company moved its operations to another site. Subsequently, the Burrage family purchased the building in 1974 and expanded its dairy production there. In the following years, the Cabarrus Creamery continued to operate, despite changing regulations in the dairy industry. In 2001, the business ceded to mounting pressures and shut down its operation.

The memories of these once-flourishing businesses in Concord are now part of The Old Creamery, a development which honors two famed brands, Cabarrus Ideal and Coca-Cola. Operating side-by-side for decades and serving as favorite gathering spot, these businesses at Church and Peachtree Streets are Concord's Original Coke Float.

If you have stories to share about the Cabarrus Creamery or Coca-Cola buildings, please email them to us.