Tanger Outlets San Marcos Harvests Hyperlocal Honey from First Rooftop Beehive

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS – Tanger Outlets San Marcos celebrates the successful culmination of its first pollinator project with the arrival of more than 100 jars of honey harvested from the shopping center’s rooftop hives. The hives were first installed in June 2021 in partnership with Alvéole, a social beekeeping company.

An extension of Tanger Outlets’ commitment to environmental responsibility, this seasonal program integrates sustainability practices locally and highlights the importance of building back biodiversity within communities. Tanger Outlets San Marcos’ elevated, secluded habitat for its honeybees provides hives and homes for the country’s declining bee population, while offering opportunities for local shoppers to get involved in the effort.

Resident beekeeper Kevin Kohli maintains and cares for the outlet center’s colonies, documenting the journey on social media for shoppers to follow along. 

“This next step in our urban apiary program is the most rewarding, as we get to share the fruits of our hardworking honeybees’ labor – delicious, hyperlocal honey – with our shoppers and community,” said Tanger Outlets San Marcos Marketing Director Allison Murphy.

The Tanger Outlets San Marcos honeybees will now be preparing for winter. Following the late summer harvest, the bees keep any honey they produce through the fall. The center’s beekeeper will continue to monitor the hives, ensuring they are filled with enough bees to huddle together and keep warm through the cold season. Extra resources are provided as needed, and the hive temperature is regulated so the pollinators are back and healthy for another honey harvest in the spring.