In 2015, San Diego development corporation H.G. Fenton took notice of a booming local brewing industry and took steps to become a part of it. Their vehicle for doing so was Brewery Igniter, a model where aspiring brewing company owners lease prefabricated combination brewery and tasting room units to avoid the upfront expense of purchasing expensive manufacturing equipment out of the gate. It has also served as an option for existing breweries looking to expand their production capabilities. H.G. Fenton started out by building a pair of Brewery Igniter suites in Miramar. After those were snatched up, additional Brewery Igniter campuses were constructed in North Park and Carlsbad. All three now boast success stories.
Miramar’s first tenant, Pure Project Brewing, has secured a large brewery and tasting room in Vista and operates two tasting rooms with a third in North Park on the way. Former North Park tenants Eppig Brewing and hard-kombucha interest Juneshine have graduated to much larger facilities in Vista and Scripps Ranch, respectively. And Carlsbad tenant Rouleur Brewing has taken over the entire Brewery Igniter building, making it their own. These and other proofs of concept led H.G. Fenton to build a fourth leasable property on Coast Highway in the former home of an Oceanside beautician’s college last year.
“Our primary focus is Oceanside and the opportunity it provides to a brewer looking to bring their vision and skills to life in that laid-back, beer-loving community. We are proud of the space, layout and location within the coastal community, and look forward to serving craft-beer enthusiasts,” says Brewery Igniter Business Manager Jacqueline Olivier.
Over the past few years, Oceanside saw a great deal of growth in the brewing sector. Northern Pine Brewing’s brewpub opened in 2017, Vista-based Booze Brothers Brewing and Kearny Mesa-based Kilowatt Brewing opened satellite tasting rooms in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and Craft Coast Brewery and Taco Stand joined a small contingent of businesses that debuted during the pandemic last August, opening to lines down Mission Avenue.
H.G. Fenton’s Oceanside facility is different from its predecessors in that there is one unit available, while the rest of the building is operated by a non-brewing entity. The brewery and tasting room space totals 3,500 square feet and is equipped with a 10-barrel brewhouse, five 20-barrel tanks, a mill and 470-square-foot cold box. It also features an open tasting room benefitting from an abundance of natural light. It is currently available to lease, as are the North Park unit Eppig exited last year and the Miramar suite that Pacific Beach-based Amplified Ale Works vacated last month. The North Park space is 2,000 square feet with a 10-barrel brewing system, 20 barrels of cellar capacity, a mill, cold box and keg washer, and is ready for an occupant to come in and apply their company’s motif. It’s a proven venue yet it remains vacant. Olivier says H.G. Fenton has fielded numerous inquiries about both the Oceanside and North Park units but signing on new tenants is complicated by COVID-19’s effect on the world, particularly hospitality-based businesses.
“Along with many other local businesses, the pandemic has impacted demand for Brewery Igniter’s turnkey suites. It has been our greatest challenge,” says Olivier. “We have partnered with our brewers to operate their businesses in new and creative ways throughout the obstacles that we have seen this year. We’ve allowed all of our tenants to utilize outdoor spaces and ensure that the number of patrons they could serve inside, they can now serve outside, while taking social distancing requirements into consideration, as well.”
“H.G. Fenton was pretty flexible when the shut downs took place and we are very thankful for it,” says Brian Mitchell, owner and Brewmaster at Pariah Brewing, who opened his company in the North Park Brewery Igniter complex in 2017, as one of its first tenants along with Eppig and San Diego Brewing Co. “We had both hoped these restrictions would be lifted by now and arrangements were made throughout 2020. Since we’re still not allowed to fully operate and vaccine distribution is moving at a glacial pace, we are once again looking at options that are mutually beneficial.”
“We started this program to be a resource to the industry and we are proud of that partnership and the successes of our brewers throughout San Diego. While the economy has slowed, we look forward to the future of what the Brewery Igniter program can offer brewers of all experience levels,” says Olivier, who notes that, in addition to working with breweries during these difficult times, H.G. Fenton has collected feedback from its brewing tenants and used it to inform the design and operation of each new Brewery Igniter facility. “We continue to believe in the industry, the Brewery Igniter program and the opportunity it provides beer artisans to pursue their passion with reduced risk.”
Parties interested in leasing one of H.G. Fenton’s available Brewery Igniter suites may contact the company via email.
Brewery Igniter’s Oceanside facility is located at 1575 South Coast Highway and its North Park facility, CRAFT by Brewery Igniter, is located at 3052 El Cajon Boulevard