ONE Pepper Grill Closes; A Social Drinking Site Grows

April 09, 2014

The Old North End has lost a craft-beer drinking locale — but its owner is staying solidly rooted in the beer world.

Last Monday, ONE Pepper Grill owner Toby Dion closed his 3-year-old hot-dogs-and-brews eatery to devote his efforts to WhatIsPouring.com, a social drinking website that connects drinkers with the tap list at their local bars.

"The lease was up [at ONE Pepper], and it was time to move on," says Dion, who at one point offered 187 different beers at his establishment. "I really enjoyed it, though. It's a great neighborhood, and [the Old North End] is a humbling place."

Since last July, Dion has been working with partner Shawn Railey on WhatIsPouring.com. The site now has 468 active users in Burlington and draws data from pubs such as Three Needs, Church Street Tavern and Bluebird Barbecue.

Dion plans to hit the road in the next few months. He says he'll drop in on "great beer cities" — including Asheville, N.C.; Chicago; Austin, Texas; New Orleans; Portland, Maine; and Portsmouth, N.H. — to convince their bar owners and beer lovers to come on board.