Eleven years ago, a family banded together to establish a brewing company celebrating Hispanic culture through beers infused with ingredients such as hibiscus, agave and cinnamon. Dubbed Border X Brewing, it launched in an Otay industrial park. Roughly two years later, owners David and Carmen Favela secured a homey spot in the northeast section of Barrio Logan in which to build a new home for their small but growing operation. In doing so, they used that space to convey the rich essence of their heritage through Chicano artwork on interior and exterior walls, the bar top and furniture, as well as music and community-driven events, including Loteria Tuesdays and an anniversary corresponding with Dia de los Muertos.
Treasured by locals, particularly the South Bay denizens whose culture the business celebrates, Border X quickly grew into a hot spot, generating enough business and far-reaching brand recognition to inspire the Favelas to expand, building a 7,000-square-foot production facility in the Los Angeles city of Bell. That location opened to the public in 2019 and was well patronized. The following year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Favelas expanded again, this time opening a brewery for an offshoot brand called Mujeres Brew House in the former home of short-lived Alta Brewing less than a half-mile from Border X’s Barrio Logan home base. Woman-owned and operated, it quickly earned plenty of press and a positive reputation spanning far beyond San Diego County.
Even with the blessing and backing of so many, Border X was not immune to the challenges that plagued breweries and small businesses during and following the aforementioned pandemic. David Favela has long been vocal via his personal social-media accounts about how difficult it has been to maintain his business. That includes messages conveyed in July of last year, when Border X’s Bell location closed down, as well as last week, when the company shared news that its days at its Barrio Logan location are most likely numbered.
The following is an excerpt from a message posted to the company’s various social-media accounts on Thursday, November 14…
Our lease is up at the end of December and we may not be able to stay, although we would like to. We have financial burdens that make it nearly impossible. Our story is similar to many businesses that survived COVID and fought to succeed. The forced shutdown of all three of our breweries in late 2020 created huge debt, which we still carry. The recovery that all of us hoped for has been sporadic and unpredictable, making it impossible to recover.
If we cannot come to agreement with the landlord, we may need to transition Border X Brewing to another location, ideally in Barrio Logan where we can continue to partner with our community. We believe in our barrio. Our vision is unwavering; we created a beautiful space and invited the Barrio to fill it with art, music and culture, and they did! This isn’t about Border X Brewing, we are simply a showcase for what was already here in this historic barrio.
The announcement goes on to share the link for a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by David Favela. The monetary goal of the campaign is listed at $100,000. Favela says funds raised through the campaign will go toward keeping Border X at its current location or moving it to a new one. At press time, the campaign had raised $845 from 17 donators.
Border X Brewing is located at 2181 Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan