While the craft-beer boom of the 21st century inspired droves of young people to devote their lives to brewing, millennials and gen Zers were also joined by longtime homebrewers who, after many years of recreational fermentation – decades, in some cases – seized the opportunity go from hobbyists to brewery owners. Such was the case with Frank Harton, an accomplished businessman with multiple companies to his name, who added his passion project, Double Peak Brewing, to that roster in 2018. Located in south San Marcos, the business drew regulars from nearby communities and proved a popular spot for hikers taking on the brewery’s namesake trail. Like many beer operations of its era, Double Peak was built to specs that were well suited for a pre-pandemic marketplace, making it ill-equipped for life after COVID. Still Harton and his team, which includes his family as well as employees who have become like family to them, soldiered on. But now, with Harton ready to retire, he has decided to put Double Peak up for sale, either as a full-on brand someone can commandeer or a production facility for a new or existing operation. He says he would also be open to an “igniter” type of lease-to-brew arrangement for the right party. Interested individuals can reach out to Harton via email, and fans of the brewery are encouraged to stop by as the taproom will remain open through Saturday, August 3. Ahead of that, we sat down with Harton to get more details as he looks back on his half-decade in the San Diego brewing industries and explains what his business has to offer to its next steward.
What inspired you to start a brewery and how did you go about doing so?
After a long journey that included homebrewing for more than a quarter-century, plus opening and operating several successful businesses, I was enticed by several friends to go pro and share my passion with the public. After an almost year-long buildout, Double Peak opened to the public in December of 2018. Our initial beers were very well received and we were growing at a rapid pace. On top of that, the brewery location was close to home and my other office, and Double Peak was the only brewery between South San Marcos and the coast. We were hoping to – and did – draw customers from the surrounding businesses and local communities of Carlsbad, San Marcos, Encinitas, San Elijo and Rancho Santa Fe. Everything was going according to plan…then came COVID.
What are some of your fondest memories as the owner of Double Peak?
The buildout process was challenging, fun and satisfying. Myself, my daughter and my son-in-law developed the buildout plans and spent many nights cleaning, painting and building all components of the brewery, including installing the cold box and bar. We also installed all of the brewing equipment . We are all proud of what we achieved and have many fond memories of making new friends and creating a place that our customers have really enjoyed.
What led to your decision to put the brewery up for sale?
I have several businesses. Since opening the brewery I have been involved on all fronts on a daily basis. I’m looking at retiring or at least slowing down to spend more time with family and carve out some free time for myself. COVID seems to have changed the landscape for microbreweries. I had planned to expand into distribution and had sales and staff in place to do so when COVID hit. We had to cancel our one-year anniversary party a week before celebrating due to the pandemic and I lost 90% of my staff at that time. While we were able to survive COVID and maintain reasonable sales, things were never the same as before the pandemic. Demographics have since changed and if you don’t have food on-site, your traffic will be down. I really have no plans to expand into food service, so it’s time to enjoy life for a while and give the opportunity to someone else to take the brewery to the next level.
For potential purchasers, what would a sale of Double Peak include?
The brewery is located in a 3,600-square-foot industrial warehouse in San Marcos at the western edge of San Elijo. In addition to our taproom, we have a 700-square-foot game room and meeting space, plus two offices totalling 300 square feet. Our brewery consists of a five-barrel SS BrewTech two-vessel brewhouse with a grist case, two 10-barrel fermenters, a pair of five-barrel fermentation and a bright tank. We have an Alpha Brew Ops three-lane canning line, keg washer, floor pumps, hoses, clamps and accessories. This year, Double Peak produced 145 barrels of beer, but our setup is capable of producing up to 900 barrels annually in its current configuration.
What would potential owners benefit most from in taking over Double Peak?
New owners would benefit from a location that many locals already enjoy. Picking up a customer base and adding to it with their friends and marketing. The brew system is streamlined and extremely easy to operate, making brew days easy and enjoyable. Our five-barrel batch size makes it easy to produce smaller pilot batches while developing new recipes, and also makes it easy to double- or triple-batch to ramp up production. Generally, it takes one-and-a-half times the time to double-batch over a single batch, and can be accomplished by a single brewer.
Do you have any parting words as you prepare to move on?
I really want to thank my taproom staff and my brewer, Will Vasquez, for working with me through thick and thin. I could not have survived without them, especially my taproom manager, Jake Jensen. Double Peak was a success due to their commitment and hard work. And I really want to thank all of our loyal fans and customers for their ongoing support and patronage. We have made so many good friends and feel like we have an extended family. I wish I could continue sharing my passion with all of you, but my family misses me and I need to step back for a while.
Double Peak Brewing is located at 1801 Diamond Street in San Marcos