Next Glass Inc., the parent company of Untappd, recently opened an office in the downtown Wilmington space it had occupied from 2016 to 2023.

In a news release Monday, the Wilmington-born company, which aims to connect beverage producers, retailers and consumers, announced the opening of an office at 21 S. Front St. The headquarters for Untappd, an app that allows users to track and rate beers they've tried, moved out of the downtown office space in early 2023.

Now, Next Glass is looking to hire local business development representatives as it “invests heavily in the continued growth of its flagship Untappd for Business product,” Monday's release stated.

The company will occupy the entire first floor of the building, around 4,205 square feet. They moved into the space last week, according to Tyler Kairys, the company's vice president of marketing.

After Untappd left in 2023, craft beverage management software creator Ohanafy leased the building's second and third floors, but the company is no longer there, according to Kairys.

Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Kurt Taylor, the then-startup Next Glass initially operated out of University of North Carolina Wilmington facilities and a coworking space before announcing its consolidation into the Front Street property. In 2020, Next Glass named Trace Smith as CEO, replacing Taylor, after he stepped down from the role.

Originally built in 1939 for the Barefoot-Jackson Furniture Co., the building at 21 S. Front St. underwent a full renovation spearheaded by James Goodnight, a developer known for renovating historic properties in Raleigh and Wilmington, in 2016. When Next Glass was set to occupy it for the first time, the news was hailed as a milestone for Wilmington's tech scene.

According to the release, the office will be primarily used by a Next Glass sales team focused on its flagship Untappd for Business software product, which is used by nearly 15,000 restaurants, bars, breweries and other retail outlets in over 75 countries to publish food, beer, wine and spirits menus. The Untappd for Business sales team has over 30 team members and plans to add at least 10 more in June in Wilmington.

“We are thrilled to be reopening an office in our previous location,” wrote Jessica Seashore, vice president of retail small- and medium-sized business sales at Next Glass, in the release.  

“Along with many of my current colleagues, I started my own sales career in this office. We will recreate the same great energy and environment I experienced during those incredible in-person days. I am excited to recruit new Wilmington-based talent to my team as we continue to grow Untappd for Business globally,” she added.

Smith, the company's CEO, said Next Glass is committed to a hybrid workplace but recognizes the value of in-office workspaces.

“As with many other companies, our needs for physical space have evolved since the COVID pandemic. We have been consistent since inception in maintaining a hybrid approach to in-office and remote work. As we look to add salespeople, we have conviction that a physical office affords training and coaching opportunities that are most effective in-person," Smith stated in the release.

"Wilmington boasts a deep talent pool and many of our sales leaders are based locally and can train and coach new hires in the office, which is a proven recipe for success," he added. "We’ve launched dozens of successful sales careers from this space in Wilmington’s dynamic downtown and will do so in this next chapter of our business.”

To connect with candidates, Next Glass will host an invitation-only Hiring Happy Hour in early June at the new office space. Candidates interested in attending the event or in joining the Next Glass team should visit nextglass.co/apply by May 30.

Next Glass has over 100 employees globally. The Wilmington office will join the company’s headquarters in Charlotte and a physical location in Enschede, Netherlands. The majority of Next Glass employees work remotely, according to the release.