When Zach Knipe and Andy Rogers opened Kensington Brewing in 2012, its handle was a misnomer as the business was located in Grantville rather than its namesake community. But when long-tenured business Kensington Video went out of business on the quaint neighborhood’s main drag, Knipe and Rogers were able to take over its space and make good on their ambition to bring locally produced beer to the place he called home.
Following its conversion into a watering hole with two-dozen taps, front and back patios and scads of diverse, interactive events, Kensington Brewing was embraced by the community. Unfortunately the pandemic proved exceptionally challenging for the small business, which sold most of its beers across its own bar. Last July, Knipe and Rogers decided it was time to pull the plug on their passion project, putting their Adams Avenue space on the market.
At the same time, East Village-based Mission Brewing was on the hunt for a site to house a satellite location. Opened in 2007 as the revived second coming of a historic 94-year-old San Diego brand, the business has undergone significant changes over the past-year-and-a-half. The catalyst for turning over a new leaf was installment of a restructured leadership team headed by brewing-industry veteran Dan Partelow.
Under his guidance, the company has rebranded, changing its name (from Mission Brewery to Mission Brewing), while updating its logo and packaging aesthetics. It has also introduced new beers, including a steady flow of small-batch creations that are available exclusively at the source. It’s been a big departure for a company that largely focused on its core offerings under founder and former CEO Dan Selis, but Partelow and company are updating their business and its practices in order to be in line with the current industry and more competitive within it.
“We started chatting about looking for our first satellite location as soon as Dan and I came onboard,” says Mission Vice President of Sales and Marketing Aaron Long. He and Partelow spent months checking out potential taproom locations from Oceanside to Chula Vista. “Taprooms are amazing places to engage with beer fans and we wanted to be able to do that in more community-focused areas outside of just downtown. When we came across the Kensington location it checked all the boxes. We love the sense of community Kensington offers.”
Mission is currently in the process of opening up the 1,500-square-foot Kensington space by installing roll-up doors that will give way to the front patio, which will also be upgraded. Inside, brick, exposed wood and other elements reminiscent of the company’s headquarters will be added to drive home the space’s new identity. But in making the location their own, they also want to respect its past.
“We plan on keeping a few of Kensington Brewing’s recipes on ‘legacy taps’ to not only support the guys, but also satisfy the dedicated regulars who have been coming here for years,” says Long. “Zach and Andy built a really nice community gathering spot for the area and have been super helpful in assisting us with the transition.”
Preserving the location’s fun, lively atmosphere is also important to the Mission team. They intend to hold trivia nights and pairing events while working with local food trucks, all things that are more difficult for them to do on a regular basis downtown.
When asked if the company has plans to open additional satellite venues, Long says it’s too early to tell but that it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. For now, the focus is on Kensington and if all goes as planned, the new tasting room will open sometime this spring.
Mission Brewery’s satellite tasting room will be located at 4067 Adams Avenue in Kensington