One of the local beer industry’s biggest success stories during the pandemic has been North Park Beer Co. (NPBC). By leaning into canning, rotating through popular brands, and introducing an almost unfathomable number of new and collaboratively brewed beers on a weekly basis, the six-year-old brewery not only survived but thrived during COVID, selling tons of beer and increasing exposure for its brand far beyond San Diego County. All that progress was made from the company’s two-story brewery and tasting room in its namesake community, but soon NPBC will have two locations under its umbrella, as owners Kelsey and Amanda McNair have signed on to be the sole business tenants at the Secoya on Fifth mixed-use development in Bankers Hill.
Located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Redwood Street, NPBC’s second home totals 2,750 square feet of interior space—400 of which is devoted to an on-site kitchen—and includes an 800-square-feet outdoor patio. Originally, an electric-bicycle retailer was slated to go into a 200-square-foot space next door to the taproom, but that business backed out, allowing NPBC to fold that would-be unit into its overall footprint.
“We saw this opportunity hit the market and worked with our broker—whose brokerage was also representing the developer—to set up an introduction. We had a couple of really great meetings with the developer and knew right away that the site would be a great fit for our first expansion project,” says Kelsey. “So many things excite us about Bankers Hill. We really like that the area has a contrasting urban high-rise vibe compared with our original North Park location. The City of San Diego invested heavily in bicycle infrastructure in this area, which is really great given the amount of daytime business activity and ongoing residential infill development.”
The McNairs say the neighborhood’s walkability and historic architecture are positive parallels to North Park. That said, they are enthused about a big difference: the fact that, while there is a good number of quality restaurants, the area is far from oversaturated. Similarly, there is only one other brewery-owned venue in Bankers Hill, a tasting room operated by Vista-based Pure Project Brewing, which has been well patronized since opening in 2019.
NPBC’s tasting room will feature a mix of communal tables, four-tops, a handful of booths and stool seating at an angular bar giving way to 24 taps flowing with the company’s beers as well as guest offerings.
“We went with a more contemporary design aesthetic with some nods to mid-century and art-deco elements, embracing the building’s brand-new construction,” says McNair. Also different is the fact NPBC’s owners will be running the culinary program, unlike in North Park, where Mastiff Sausage Co. has operated a kitchen from day one. “Having only vicariously observed kitchen operations via Mastiff, who operate autonomously, it’s very exciting to sink our teeth into the food realm.”
The McNairs say they are going to start out with a simple, from-scratch menu featuring smash burgers—both beef and vegan—served with hand-cut Belgian-style frites. Once the kitchen gains its footing, additional entrees, salads and assorted beer-friendly shareables will be rolled out. There will also be a Tuesday Supper series involving guest chefs, the idea for which was inspired by much-loved chef and craft-beer advocate Nate Soroko, who sadly passed away last year.
NPBC’s Bankers Hill tasting room is currently in its buildout stage, but the McNairs hope to open the doors to their satellite sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. With any luck, they say that will happen before Halloween.
When asked how they feel about the prospect of opening additional venues, they say they are currently on the lookout for a site to house a new brewery as well as other tasting-room opportunities. The company is currently operating at 100% production capacity and is on-pace to produce just under 2,700 barrels of beer this year, necessitating a second production facility to facilitate additional growth.
North Park Beer Co.’s new tasting room is located at 3095 Fifth Avenue in Bankers Hill