It was 2007 when Kevin Dyer planted his fermentation flag in Temecula, opening up Black Market Brewing. While the Riverside County community was replete with purveyors of Pinot Gris and Zinfandel, it was barren where beer was concerned. That is no longer the case, as Temecula is home to more than a dozen brewery-owned venues (including San Diego operations Karl Strauss Brewing and Wild Barrel Brewing), many of which benefited from the forward work of Dyer and his team, which included opening distribution channels to San Diego County.
A decade ago, the brand made a fast name for itself in America’s Finest City, but it wasn’t until 2019 that Black Market opened a 24-tap brewpub in a former bar-and-eatery space in the College Area near San Diego State University (SDSU). There, the company was able to make good on its objective to re-establish itself in San Diego and brew one-offs for locals, but it was just under a year before pandemic-related regulations drove Dyer to shutter the business.
“We did not feel we could operate the space with the constant State of California restrictions that were changing every 30 days,” says Dyer, who had optimistically hoped for a swift return to business. “We believed that after the three-month initial closure, we would be able to resume operations. The rest is history as it relates to the restrictions hospitality encountered in 2020 and the first half of 2021.”
After a much more prolonged and challenging wait than anticipated, Black Market recently took to social media to announce its College Area brewpub will be opening its doors in the near future. While unforeseen obstacles could extend the reopening, for now, the projected return time frame is Halloween. When asked what contributing factors rendered the current climate better-suited for reopening, Dyer cites rising vaccination numbers throughout San Diego County and discontinuation of extended unemployment benefits, which has made it easier to find qualified employment candidates.
Though excited, Dyer will fight the urge to put on a party-like grand-opening event. Instead, there will be a quiet, soft opening so that staff can get their feet under them given that the majority of them will be completely new to their environs. He says the venue will initially open strictly as a taproom, and once all staff are in place and service is in order, they will bring back their pizza-focused menu.
For now, the company is forging ahead, filling open positions (including manager, pizza chef and beertenders) and brewing beers to stock the taps, starting with Black Market’s core beers. Once they have an ample supply of year-round offerings, they will recommence with production of brewpub-only specialty creations.
“We are excited to open the doors back up. We didn’t even get a full year of operation in before COVID hit, so it’s almost like we’re having an official opening for the second time,” says Dyer. “We really want to be that neighborhood brewpub for the college students and the community that lives in the area. I’m an Aztec alum and I wish Black Market had been around when I was going there in the mid-90’s, so I’m trying to deliver on something I believe the area needs what I would have wanted.”
Once open, the College Area brewpub will mirror the hours of Black Market’s Temecula tasting room, staying open from 4 to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 12 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Black Market’s San Diego brewpub is located at 4800 Art Street in the College Area