They say behind every successful man there is a woman. In the case of Sean Haggerty, the owner of the county’s only USDA organic-certified beer operation, Miramar’s Protector Brewery, his wife and business partner, Cory, was actually in front of him doing extensive scout work to find an ideal spot to expand the business.
Her search led her to BRIC, a hospitality-driven lifestyle destination along San Diego’s North Embarcadero at the convergence of Broadway and Pacific Highway, where she found an available space at the base of the Intercontinental San Diego Hotel. The Haggertys have finalized a lease on that unit and are ready to start construction on a kitchen-equipped, indoor-outdoor satellite that will go by the name Protector Brewery BRIC.
“Since there is no brewery taproom at BRIC and the closest craft-beer tasting rooms are all about half-a-mile away, we saw this as a great opportunity to provide great, award-winning San Diego beers to the many tourists who visit the area each day,” says Sean. “Our ground floor unit opens up to Lane Field, where BRIC hosts farmer’s markets every Saturday and Sunday, there are approximately 800 hotel rooms above our unit and San Diego’s cruise ship terminals are right across the street.”
Sandwiched between a Starbucks and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Protector’s 1,900-square-foot unit can accommodate 60 guests, plus an additional 15 or so care of its shaded patio. The venue will be equipped with 30 taps pouring Protector’s all-organic beers, plus guest ales and lagers, non-alcoholic beers, wines, ciders and sodas. If all goes as planned, it will open for business in early spring 2024.
Though the Haggertys are still in search of a partner to manage their kitchen, they intend to offer gourmet pizzas, plus appetizers and salads, all of which will incorporate local, USDA-certified organic ingredients. House beer and food will be available for on-site consumption or to-go.
As important to the Haggertys as the organic aspect of the business is Protector being a veteran-owned brewery. Sean spent nearly a decade as a Navy SEAL, and regularly supports charities assisting active-duty and veteran military and their families. While the basics of the venue’s overall design have been hammered into place (as illustrated in the renderings from design-build firm CLTVT), there is much fine-tuning left to do and the Haggertys intend to include elements which speak to the SEALs and San Diego’s navy-town status.
In addition to providing extra seating, the new location’s patio will allow visitors to take in the sunset or a game of darts. A malleable footprint allowing for such value-addeds was important to the Haggertys and a key reason Cory locked in on the open BRIC unit after discovering it.
“Cory began prospecting back in fall of 2022. At that point, we were comfortable with the traction we had gained through distribution and establishing our core lineup of beers, house yeast strains and supply chain for organics, and felt ready to explore expansion opportunities,” says Sean.
The couple’s intentions are to “really nail” their BRIC location. If that is successful, come the end of 2024 they will assess where they are and determine whether it is time to head out in search of sites for future satellite venues.
In 2022, Protector produced just shy of 1,000 barrels. The company is on track to double that amount this year thanks in large part to its distribution partners and growing retail relationships. Haggerty cites Costco as having been particularly integral to the company’s growth, which has registered at least 40% annually since the company opened in 2017. But in the end it’s Cory that has been most influential and important in his eyes.
“Building, opening and growing Protector has been such a fulfilling journey, and I am grateful to have done it with my wife as a true family business.”
Protector Brewery’s kitchen and taproom will be located at 901 Bayfront Court, Suite 102, inside the Intercontinental Hotel in the Marina District