With the emotion and logistics involved, it’s understandably difficult for brewery owners to announce they are closing their businesses. That chore is made even harder when something unexpected triggers a sudden shutdown. Such was the case last week when the team at Northern Pine Brewing was issued a notice to vacate the combination production facility, taproom and kitchen they’ve operated for the past seven years. It came as a shock; one which owners Bobby Parsons, Anne and Aaron Ortega (pictured below, left-to-right) had to immediately shake off in order to begin the arduous process of moving out of their 6,100-square-foot Oceanside space.
When the aforementioned co-founders opened Northern Pine in October of 2017, its kitchen component was headed by the owners of nearby barbecue restaurant, That Boy Good. In 2023, following a parting of ways with that tenant, the brewery installed its own culinary concept called The Lodge. Like Northern Pine and its great-outdoors design aesthetic, the restaurant and its menu of family-favorite dishes culled from countless camping trips, celebrated nature and recreational life in the Ortegas’ home state of Idaho. While it did amass a following, it was not sustainable, leading to ownership’s decision to close The Lodge and sell the kitchen.
Over the past few months, the Ortegas say they not only were in the process of lining up a deal with an interested entrepreneur, but had other parties lined up in case the sale fell through. Then came the notice to vacate, upending all those would-be plans. As a result, today will be Northern Pine’s last day of operation.
“This was not a planned closure for us,” says Anne. “We have been working hard to come back from hardships opening the kitchen caused, and the final piece was selling the kitchen and using those funds to catch up on debts associated with the kitchen, with the remainder being used for the brewery and helping expand our distribution program.”
This closure follows last week’s news that locally based Latitude 33 Brewing (which also owns the Thorn Brewing brand and produces its portfolio of beers) will be taking over Northern Pine’s satellite location at Del Mar Highlands’ SkyDeck. When that hospitality collective’s top-floor Brewer’s Deck opened in 2021, its trio of tenants included Northern Pine, Rough Draft Brewing and hard-kombucha producer Boochcraft. Now, only the latter remains with Mission Brewing having taken Rough Draft’s place in the lineup last year.
But the Ortegas say this is not the end for Northern Pine, asserting that they will do everything it takes to keep the brand going. They just won’t be doing so right away. That’s because Anne is pregnant with the couple’s first child. It’s something they’ve wanted for a long time.
“We have been trying for seven years and thought we could not conceive, but we were given an amazing surprise at the end of last year. Due to all our past struggles with pregnancies and the fact that this pregnancy is high-risk, we will be taking a short break to make sure that all this stress does not affect it,” says Anne. “Our priority is protecting our tiny miracle. We are going to put our family first to catch our breath before moving forward with anything for Northern Pine, but this won’t be the end.”
The Ortegas are saddened at what has transpired, not just for themselves bur their employees. But they are also hopeful for the second coming of their business. Even though they say their brewery was everything to them, they have something else of great importance to focus their energy on, knowing they can continue chasing their dreams after fulfillment of a big one they’ve chased for a long time.
Northern Pine Brewing is located at 326 North Horne Street in Oceanside