Few local breweries are as connected to the communities they call home as Chula Vista’s Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing. Opened on Third Avenue in 2017, the business is Hispanic-owned-and-operated and goes so far as to prominently include the City of Chula Vista’s logo among the old-school punk rock iconography comprising a mural running the length of its tasting room. The largely Latino staff mirrors the clientele they serve, and ownership makes a concerted effort to give back to the community. All the above has led to Thr3e Punk Ales rising to prominence with at least one City official dubbing them “the kings of Third Avenue”.
Having built such a solid reputation and amassed plenty of local regulars, one would understand if the the brewery’s founders were content to hunker down and own home. But that’s not the plan. While Steve Garcia and Kevin Lewis are proud of what they have built and adore Chula Vista, they have long been curious to find out how their concept would fare beyond South Bay. And it won’t be very long before they find out.
Last month, Thr3e Punk Ales took over ownership of a 650-square-foot tasting room near the intersection of India and Grape Streets in Little Italy. That 18-tap space had been occupied by Mikkeller Brewing San Diego since 2018 but shuttered in April following its Denmark-based parent company’s decision to cease U.S. operations, presenting a long-awaited opportunity for Garcia and Lewis.
“We’ve been actively looking to expand for the last two years, but we didn’t want to expand simply to expand. We wanted to make sure that we were smart with growing the brand,” says co-owner Steve Garcia. “We flirted with moves to Imperial Beach, Paradise Hills and the Gaslamp Quarter, but ultimately Little Italy was exactly what we were looking for.”
Garcia and Lewis say Little Italy has a nice blend of residential intermingled with small businesses, and that both the India Street and Third Avenue corridors boast a healthy flow of foot traffic. They hope to help attract passers-by by installing outdoor café seating options soon after the new spot opens. Another lure will be a new Italian-style pilsner. Going by the name Don Fanucci—a nod to The Godfather series—it will be available exclusively at the Little Italy location.
“I’m excited and proud of the growth of our brand. We’ve worked very hard to maintain quality and get to this point in our story,” says Garcia. “We are also beyond excited to have the opportunity to bring a little of what the South Bay has to offer to San Diego proper.”
To that end, the new tasting room will feature a variety of art and murals, plus plenty of the punk-rock punch the brewery’s brand is built around. When asked if there are plans to weave in aesthetic elements tracing back to the company’s Chula Vista roots or similarly celebrate Little Italy, Garcia replies, “Why not all of the above. You’ll have to stop by and check it out.”
He’s similarly coy about the potential for Thr3e Punk Ales to open future satellite locations. “That’s a wrap…for San Diego.”
What a punk.
Thr3e Punk Ales’ Little Italy tasting room is scheduled to debut to the public on Saturday, August 12. Once open, its hours of operation will be noon to 10 p.m. daily.
Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing’s new tasting room is located at 2021 India Street in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood