Justin Stambaugh first made a name for himself in the local craft-beer scene as the head brewer for award-winning operation, Rip Current Brewing. In 2019, the owners of that San Marcos company happily allowed him to split time to open his own business with his brother, Joe (a brewer for since shuttered Mikkeller Brewing San Diego). Located directly next-door to Rip Current, it went by the name Stave & Nail Brewing and specialized in wild, mixed-culture and otherwise funky beers, supplemented by oft-changing clean ales and lagers.
Despite only being open certain weekends and a tad unpredictable, the business was a success, particularly with North County patrons who would flock to its industrial-zoned outdoor oasis for regular brunch events. Stave & Nail rose to become one of the most popular cult-favorite breweries in the county. Then in January 2022, everything came to a sudden and screeching halt. The brewery closed and its brewhouse and cellar vessels were hauled away. But it wasn’t a shuttering.
That equipment was moved out to make room for a larger, 10-barrel brewing system and a cellar offering 60 barrels of fermentation capacity. It was step one of a multiphase overhaul that would change every aspect of the business, including its name, and was spurred by the Stambaughs signing a lease to open a bar and restaurant at the base of the Rylan Apartment building in downtown Vista. The original plan was to open their new location to the public last summer. After some delays, the brothers now expect to debut their rebranded concept in August or September, and it will go by the name of Prey Brewing.
“We wanted to have a grittier feel for the new brand,” says Prey Branding and Marketing Manager (and former CEO of Vista’s Booze Brothers Brewing) Kris Anacleto. “Craft-beer marketing and design has come a long way over the past decade, but most breweries still tend to have a fun, poppy image. Having a darker tone not only feels natural for us, but it’s a nice way to differentiate ourselves.”
The term Prey also applies to the food-service aspect of the business’ new location. Delving into the hospitality industry might seem unnatural for a brewery that once invited guests to hang out in a parking lot, but years of thought have gone into this decision.
“Before I was a brewer, I worked in the restaurant industry for nearly a decade in basically every role you could imagine, from line cook to bartender to manager. Before I had aspirations of brewing or opening a brewery, I wanted to open a restaurant,” says Justin. “Then came my shift into brewing, which eventually led to me starting my passion project, Stave & Nail. I loved it, and I still do, but my desire to open a restaurant has remained in the back of my mind through it all.”
Stambaugh says it was in December 2020 while he was laid up in bed with COVID that he decided to go for it. He spent that isolation period writing a business plan for a restaurant addition and, as soon as he was able, he began working toward it.
Prey will offer high-end, upscale pub food with a twist. Dishes will include bahn mi burgers, pork belly tacos, shrimp ceviche and oxtail fries. The menu will be guided by consulting chef, Gunnar Planter, who previously worked for local brewing companies, Viewpoint Brewing and Ebullition Brew Works. Day-to-day kitchen management will be provided by Planter’s longtime sous chef, Jesus Gabino.
Looking at the landscape of San Diego craft beer from a business perspective, it was clear that we needed to adapt and move away from the typical tasting room-forward model. Simply put, I feel it’s just far too saturated and doesn’t provide a complete experience to our guests. We want to be a complete package. We love food, cocktails and, of course, we love beer, and the bar-and-restaurant model allows us to give our customers an experience that we love and can be proud of.”
Justin Stambaugh, Prey Brewing
The Vista location comes in at 3,544 square feet, 70% of which is evenly split between the bar and dining room. Between booths, tables and bar seating, the venue can accommodate up to 130 guests, and there is an outdoor patio for overflow. In addition to beer, Prey will feature a robust cocktail program from a veteran to-be-announced mixologist. Though it is a bar and restaurant from a beer company, the team feels it is important to offer libations spanning beyond what they produce.
“Our passions don’t end at beer. We’re very passionate about cocktails, as well,” says Anacleto. “With the way craft beer has exploded in the past 10 years, adapting to the market is more important than ever. Gone are the days of people feeling like they know about the cool hidden gem tucked away in the business parks. Offering a full restaurant with beer, cocktails and wine in a downtown setting will allow us to reach and speak to a much larger audience than before.”
Back in San Marcos, Prey’s 1,385-square-foot production facility will allow the company to produce 1,000 barrels of beer in its first year. The Stambaughs hope to surpass that in year two and beyond, and have room to upgrade their tanks in order to do so. To put things in perspective, Stave & Nail brewed 350 barrels per year at its peak, and reaching that total required them to contract brew with other local beer companies. Now all of Prey’s beers can be manufactured and packaged in-house thanks to the addition of a canning line.
Prey’s initial quartet of beers will consist of a Mexican-style lager, Pilsner, hazy IPA and West Coast IPA, all of which will be available on-draft and in cans at the Vista location. That spot is equipped with a total of 18 taps. The plan is for two-thirds of them to dispense Prey beer with guest ales and lagers from other breweries filling out the list.
“We’ll definitely have a large focus on lagers, and we’ll make sure to brew beers that complement our food,” says Anacleto. “We’ll be scaling back our sour production noticeably, and we’ll be focusing on wild saisons, which makes for a more drinkable beer in a restaurant setting. We know saisons aren’t the most popular beers in Southern California, but we’re going to do our best to stick to our guns with this style.”
To stay apprised on the opening of Prey’s Vista location, Anacleto advises fans to follow the company on Instagram.
Prey Brewing will be located at 100 Main Street, Unit 110, in Vista