This year, H.G. Fenton presented a new option for aspiring brewing company owners geared toward eliminating capital-intensive barriers to entry into San Diego’s thriving craft beer industry. Dubbed Brewery Igniter, it consisted of ready-to-brew combination brewery and tasting room spaces for entrepreneurs to lease in San Diego’s Miramar community. Opting for this model saves start-up operations the money needed to purchase equipment, install cellar space and a cold box, and endure the often daunting licensing process, all of which are shouldered by H.G. Fenton. The initial Brewery Igniter campus consists of two 1,625-square-foot spaces occupied by Amplified Ale Works and Pure Project Brewing (scheduled to open in early 2016) respectively. It’s proven so successful out-of-the-gate that H.G. Fenton is in the process of opening a second, multi-space facility, this time in arguably the beeriest community in San Diego, North Park.
Installed at 3052 El Cajon Boulevard, not far from Tiger! Tiger! Tavern, Brewery Igniter’s North Park location offers three spaces, all of which are larger than their Miramar cousins. All three come in at 2,000 square feet and are equipped with 10-barrel Premier Stainless brewhouses. (Amplified and Pure Project will utilize seven-barrel breweries at Brewery Igniter 1.0.), four 20-barrel fermenters and two 20-barrel bright tanks. Opening a business in the trendy North Park area presents many advantages, but doing so would be challenging from a financial standpoint. Though exact terms haven’t been laid out, having the head-start presented by skipping the design, equipment procurement, installation and licensing steps presents helpful cost-cutting advantages. It’s likely that a substantial number of beer entrepreneurs will show interest in the Brewery Igniter North Park spaces. H.G. Fenton is banking on that.
Unlike when the Brewery Igniter concept debuted in Miramar, and H.G. Fenton accepted prospective tenants on a first-come, first-served basis, they have decided to be more selective this time around. From now through January 4, the company is accepting applications from companies interested in leasing the North Park spaces. Says Brewery Igniter team leader Bill Hooper, “We’re giving entrepreneur brewers the opportunity to tell us how they want to do business. It’s important that the North Park spaces are filled by brewers who are passionate about opening a brewery and have the drive to create something special. This process will help us identify those brewers.”
To throw one’s hat in the ring, interested parties are invited to email H.G. Fenton FLO business manager Jacqueline Olivier via email.