Patrons who have made recent visits to Chula Vista restaurant, El Cruce +241, may have noticed some beers from an operation called Brewjería Company. The half-dozen exotic, hoppy and fruity ales are a sign of things to come, as that Pico Rivera-based brewing company has signed on to take over the eatery and convert it into the four-year-old business’ first-ever satellite venue.
“Brewjería opened its doors to the public in November 2019, four months before the pandemic. We struggled for much of 2020 due to COVID restrictions, but managed to survive and celebrated something of a second grand opening in 2021 since so many people either hadn’t gotten a chance to visit or hadn’t heard of us prior to the pandemic,” says Brewjería co-founder and President Agustin Ruelas. “We celebrated four years last November with our most successful anniversary party to date, and hope to bring our vibe and great craft beer to Chula Vista.”
Ruelas is from San Diego, as are numerous relatives of the family-run business’ management team. Even so, nearly a year into searching for a community in which to expand Brewjería’s brand, the idea of doing so in San Diego County had never occurred to them. Then, the opportunity to acquire El Cruce +241 “came out of nowhere” and they seized on it.
Coming in at around 4,000 square feet, the bar and restaurant includes a pair of dining rooms, with one at street level and another in the basement which can seat 183 people. It is located on downtown Chula Vista’s bustling Third Avenue, a thoroughfare that is home to three breweries – Chula Vista Brewery, Groundswell Brewing and 3 Punk Ales Brewing – with a fourth, Gaslamp Quarter-based Resident Brewing, working to open its first satellite in the former home of Third Avenue Alehouse.
El Cruce being so close to so many great breweries is definitely a challenge, but what we’ve always loved about craft beer is that it is a very supportive and collaborative community. The community has already been very welcoming. And if it had been another location in San Diego that worked for us, we probably still would have done it because Latino-owned breweries are underrepresented as a whole and we hope to change that.”
Agustin Ruelas, President, Brewjería Company
Also important to Brewjería is being community-oriented. Several of the company’s founders hail from the nonprofit sector and have helped make giving back to the community a focus. To date, Brewjería has worked with 50 different nonprofit organizations, as well as the City of Pico Rivera, its chamber of commerce and homebrew clubs.
“We love community and hope to create it wherever we are,” says Ruelas. And he and his colleagues are excited to do so with those who share their heritage. “It’s great to know there are already so many Latino-owned breweries and businesses in downtown Chula Vista. We hope to come in and work to help each other build a more thriving community.”
For now, El Cruce +241 is operating under that moniker with the same menu. Ruelas and company will retain the restaurant’s chef and some of its most popular dishes as they transition the business to Brewjería Taproom & Kitchen. Overall, the revamped venue will continue to celebrate Mexican cuisine, but do so with a bent toward shareables versus full-sized entrées
The following are the beers currently on tap at El Cruce +241:
- Rubia Fuerte, Blonde Ale (6.5%)
- Tomo la Flor, Pale Ale with Hibiscus (6.2% alcohol-by-volume)
- Fulanita, Berliner-style Weisse with Strawberry, Pineapple & Dragon Fruit (4.5%)
- The Grapes of Wrath, Belgian-style Tripel w/ Muscat Grapes (9.1%)
- Hop Off the 605, West Coast IPA (6.3%)
- Space Clowns, New England-style IPA with Citra, Galaxy & Vic Secret Hops (7.8%)
As displayed above, Brewjería focuses on hoppy and Belgian-style ales, adjunct beers and, in Ruelas’ words, “everything in between”. In addition to its own stock, the satellite venue will also offer beers from guest breweries and an assortment of wines.
As for how the new space will look, the team wants to keep El Cruce +241’s lovely, elevated aesthetic while infusing a bit of Brewjería’s rustic charm. Ruelas says those changes will happen slowly, but should be completed by May, and that the restaurant will stay open during renovations.
Brewjería’s new tasting room will be located at 241 Third Avenue in Chula Vista