MONTEREY, Calif. — Dust Bowl Brewing Co. announces plans to open a taproom in Monterey, California in the first quarter of 2019. The popular coastal tourist destination is two hours south-west of the Turlock-based craft brewery.
Ideally located next to Fisherman’s Wharf, the stand-alone building was originally built in 1874 as a train depot. It is situated on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, which runs from Pacific Grove to Castroville, and offers panoramic ocean views from the patio.
To be known as the Dust Bowl Brewing Co. Tap House, the location offers 3600 sq. ft. of interior space and1700 sq. ft. on the back patio. Current plans include 24 tap lines, featuring a wide range of Dust Bowl beers. Growlers and Crowlers will be sold, offering fresh, draft beer to-go. Communal-style seating will be featured throughout coupled with bar seating. The patio will offer ample heating and multiple fire pits enabling patrons to enjoy the beautiful outdoor setting year-round. The patio will also offer corn hole and other outdoor games.
The décor will play into the rich Monterey references of acclaimed author, John Steinbeck, which ties so well with the Dust Bowl Brewing brand story. Oversized historic images will flank the walls along with custom industrial finishes on the furnishings. A small area will offer retail items, such as tees, hats and glassware. Plans also include a reach-in cold box for packaged beer to-go.
“We’ve been researching potential satellite locations for quite some time,” shares Brett Tate, Founder/Owner, Dust Bowl Brewing Co. “The Monterey Peninsula really got us excited. It meets our criteria on so many levels. There’s a growing craft culture in the area, but it’s not overly saturated. The demographic is ideal – Monterey County has a population of 438,000 residents, while the coastal region attracts over three million tourists annually. The more consumers who are exposed to your brand, the better. The taproom setting allows a greater level of brand engagement and consumer interaction, which leads to increased sales in the more traditional off-premise and on-premise sectors.”
Additionally, Monterey is a popular day and weekend getaway destination for Central Valley natives. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. is confident its local fan base will help create demand once they know they can enjoy their hometown brewery while escaping the Valley heat.
Business partner, Brett Honoré, adds, “Growing our footprint is strategic to our sustainability. Like so many other craft brewers have come to understand, we can’t rely solely on traditional growth through the three-tier distribution system. You have to be open to other strategies that make business sense. We believe our investment in satellite taprooms will help grow our wholesaler network – it’s a win-win. Increased production from the brewery helps our efficiencies as well.”
The Monterey location, 290 Figueroa Street, will mark the third taproom location for Dust Bowl Brewing Co. The company opened its first taproom in Downtown Turlock in 2011 and then followed with a second taproom adjacent to its new brewery in 2016, also in Turlock.
Dust Bowl Brewing Co. beers may be found throughout Central and Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento region, parts of Southern California, Nevada and Oklahoma.
Dust Bowl Brewing Co. produced its first beer in May 2009. The company is owned by Brett and Karen Tate andBrett and Camy Honoré, who became the Tate’s business partners in 2011. The company built and moved its production to a 30,000 sq. ft. brewery and taproom, located in Turlock, California, in June 2016. Dust Bowl Brewing Co. beers are available in 5 and 15.5 gallon kegs along with selected styles in 22 oz. and 12 oz. bottles and 16 oz. and 12 oz. cans. Distribution includes Central and Northern California, Nevada and Oklahoma. The craft brewery showcases a wide variety of its beers at its two Turlock, California taproom locations, the Brewery Taproom and the Downtown Taproom. More information may be found at www.dustbowlbrewing.com.