One thing that’s never in short supply at a brewery is ideas. From new styles to brew to engaging events to charity initiatives to expanding one’s business and offerings, noble notions abound. Ironically, time to devote to them is usually in short supply. As such, many would-be brainstorms slide to the back burner (or off the stovetop entirely). Such was the case for the owners of Booze Brothers Brewing, who did preliminary work to add a culinary operation servicing their Vista tasting room years ago before being other projects sidetracked them. In an unlikely twist, pivoting to comply with COVID-19 regulations created a workflow shift that allowed ownership to refocus on this endeavor and now, after eight months of solid progress, they are weeks away from offering the edible wares of Pizza Bros.
“It might seem like an unlikely time to launch a new part of our business, but we didn’t want to grow complacent during this pandemic and shutdown. It’s been really easy to feel unmotivated during these bleak times but bringing this project to fruition has been a pretty fun endeavor,” says Booze Brothers Partner Kris Anacleto. “The food requirement for breweries has been really difficult on all of us and we don’t anticipate that going away any time soon, so we figured let’s get moving so we can have seven days of high-quality food available.”
Pizza Bros will operate as a direct-sales caterer operating under a different license from Booze Brothers and prepping food at a nearby commercial kitchen. Those items will then be transported to the brewery’s tasting room, where they will be cooked to-order in a brand-new wood-fired oven on the tasting room’s back patio. That Italian import will churn out pizzas and breadsticks made using an in-house sourdough culture. Meatballs dressed in from-scratch tomato sauce and a variety of salads will also be on the menu, as will suggested food-and-beer pairings.
When asked why they went with a pizza concept, the well-known compatibility of beer and flatbreads factored in, but there’s more to it than that. “Owners Dave and Donny Firth both worked pizza jobs for years before opening the brewery, so we’ve got some experience behind us. Plus, a couple years back, Dave befriended a neighbor of his and hey started having backyard pizza nights. Dave got really stoked on some of the pizzas they were putting out and wanted to incorporate it with our business,” says Anacleto. “It was only a matter of time before we ventured into food. It’s really important to keep your tasting room alive and healthy, so food is a natural step for us.”
Menu items are still being tested, but so far a favorite is an oil-based pie with arugula, sliced lemon, garlic and fermented onions that Donny came up with. Meanwhile, Dave has an idea for an In-N-Out Burger-inspired “Double Double” pizza to go along with a host of other “funky” ideas. Some of those will be introduced as weekly one-off pizza specials, but the regular menu figures to feature four-to-six unique pies plus a regular line-up of traditional options topped with ingredients from local purveyors.
The last step in making Pizza Bros a reality will be assembling a workforce. The company is currently in search of staff to prep, cook and serve menu items, and is accepting résumés via its website. “Hopefully, we’ll find the right fit organically, with people who are already fans of Booze Brothers,” says Anacleto.
There is no firm debut date for Pizza Bros, but the current estimate is early-December. Once service is dialed in, Booze Brothers will work on expanding its menu and planning some events incorporating both beer and pizza.
Booze Brothers Brewery is located at 2545 Progress Street in Vista