In spite of the challenges the craft-brewing industry has faced in 2020, this has been a year of positive change and phenomenal growth for Pure Project Brewing. The nearly five-year-old company opened an indoor-outdoor room in Carlsbad’s Village area, built a pop-up beer garden in a lot across the street from its Bankers Hill satellite, and is in the process of finalizing acquisition of the 13,850-square-foot brewery and tasting room formerly occupied by defunct Iron Fist Brewing. Once that space is secured, Pure Project will begin a measured transition to its new home in Vista while maintaining a presence in the Miramar industrial suites it’s leased from developer H.G. Fenton since 2015. There’s a lot going on, but believe it or not, the makers of “murky” IPAs have one more big project in the works: building out a North Park tasting room.
Pure Project has submitted license applications for a 7,000-square-foot spot at 2867 El Cajon Boulevard, just west of 30th Street. The former automotive paint shop features preexisting roll-up bays that will make for easy access to 5,000 square feet of outdoor patio space, which will be outfitted with a variety of seating options and natural features in keeping with the company’s reclaimed, all-natural motif and environmentally conscious ethos.
“We’re always on the lookout for unique and cool properties where we can create something very special. After COVID hit, we realized having a large outdoor element would be a requirement for us going forward, and we were surprised by the lack of safe gathering spaces in San Diego, despite the beautiful year-round weather.” said Pure Project co-founder Jesse Pine. “This property checked both boxes for us, with it being a unique building with some history behind it and having a sizable amount of outdoor space.”
North Park is densely populated with brewery-owned venues. The block where Pure Project is building is across the street from Barn Brewery and a block west of Home Brewing Company. Additionally, a satellite tasting room from Oceanside’s Black Plague Brewing is being installed in a former mattress store on the opposite side of Pure Project’s future outdoor patio. That business is slated for delivery sometime 2021, though, like so many things, the timeline has been complicated by the pandemic.
Though in its infancy and forging forward in unpredictable times, Pure Project anticipates opening its North Park tasting room in late summer of next year. Though it’s far off on the horizon, the team is already excited to deliver the new project to residents of and visitors to one of San Diego’s most craft-minded communities.
“We’re excited to share this new location with its large-yet-cozy outdoor space, providing a safe place for people to come together to enjoy a few pints and relax,” says Director of Retail Operations Kira Bouchard, adding, “Once allowed under mandates, of course.”
To keep up on the progress of the North Park tasting room, Pure Project advises fans to follow the venue’s official Instagram account.