Though they’ve had great entrepreneurial success in San Diego, brothers Mike and Greg Hess harbor heartfelt affection for their hometown of Walnut Creek. The duo grew up there, and their parents still live there, with even more relatives scattered around Contra Costa County and the greater Bay Area. A year-and-a-half ago, the brothers expanded distribution of Mike Hess Brewing beers to Northern California, but they’ve decided to significantly up their presence in their old stomping grounds by constructing a tasting room in Walnut Creek.
Located at 2313 Oak Grove Road in Suite J of a new shopping center called The Orchards, the satellite location includes 1,800 square feet of interior space and a 2,200-square-foot outdoor patio. The interior features vaulted ceilings and large windows looking out onto the patio, where wicker furniture creates a “living room” feel beneath a partial porte-cochere, and an oak tree grows in the center of a drink rail-bordered deck. Custom-built four-top tables, televisions and an 18-tap draft system highlight the indoor amenities. Portions of the interior and exterior will be decorated with brand-centric art similar to that of MHB’s North Park headquarters.
“The tasting room in Walnut Creek is an opportunity to get back to our hometown, bringing the MHB experience to our Contra Costa fans,” says Mike Hess. “Greg and I have many, many friends from childhood who still live in Walnut Creek and we wanted to provide a venue that was family-, and dog-friendly for them to come together and enjoy a great beer.”
MHB is currently hiring for managers and bartenders to staff the new tasting room, and expects to add as many as ten employees. The project is currently on-track to debut to the public by Labor Day. If all goes as planned, a soft-open event will be held during the holiday weekend featuring live music from an old high-school friends’ band. The entire Hess family figures to be present for the festivities, which will also include drink and merchandise specials, plus cornhole, face-painting and temporary tattoos for kids.