All good things eventually come to an end, and San Diego’s craft beer scene is no exception.
The beer industry is far from out of business—there are still about 140 breweries operating today, with thousands of employees—but around a dozen have closed in the last year alone. This may be the first time local brewery closures and acquisitions outpaced openings in the current craft beer era, and many have cited increasing costs of real estate, ingredients, and labor as reasons for shutting their doors forever.
That’s not the case for Half Door Brewing Company. Siblings Stacy and Daniel Drayne opened Half Door Brewing in 2015, leveraging their experience running nearby Irish pub The Field with their parents. Daniel brewed the beers, Stacy ran operations (splitting her time between The Field and Half Door), and business has boomed for a decade, especially during baseball season.
So why are they closing Half Door and selling their iconic, 1906-era, two-story building in East Village to Anaheim-based Villains Brewing Company?
It’s precisely because the business has been so successful that the siblings decided to get out while they’re ahead. “I feel a little overwhelmed doing two places,” Stacy explains. “The industry is changing, [and] it just kind of felt like the right time.”
While she understands why other breweries have had to close due to economic factors, she says, that wasn’t one of the problems Half Door faced. Plus, she’s quick to add, the transition to Villains is in progress, but won’t occur for at least a few weeks, if not months (permits and license transfers permitting). “Everything is business as normal,” she adds. “I’m preparing for St. Patrick’s Day; I’m preparing for Opening Day. I’m assuming we’ll be here for the start of baseball.”
She also notes that only the property is for sale, not the Half Door name or trademark. “You never know what the future holds,” she laughs.
It’s a bittersweet moment for the pair, and one they didn’t initiate. Stacy recalls that, in the summer of 2024, another business reached out to them to see if they’d be interested in selling their space. That particular deal fell through, but it sparked a conversation between her, Daniel, and their father. “It was kind of like ‘What do we think?’” she says. “The seed was planted.” They decided to put the property on the market, and, after a couple of bids, Villains won out.
This is the second San Diego entity Villains has acquired. During the excruciatingly slow fall from grace for Modern Times Beer (which is still in progress and, frankly, painful to watch), Villains took over the brand’s former 33,000-square-foot Leisuretown location in Anaheim to launch a brewery and food hall concept. Until they hand over the keys, however, Stacy says they look forward to continuing to brew and serve their house beers to loyal customers as long as they can.
“It’s just a super special place,” she says. “I hope Villains does it justice.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Romanissimo Opened This Week in Gaslamp
What’s the difference between Roman food and Italian food? Glad you asked. Italian food encompasses a wide variety of regional cuisines (think Sicilian, Milanese, Tuscan, and so forth) while Roman food hails from Rome (obviously). Roman cuisine’s signature dishes include fresh pastas like cacio e pepe and carbonara; meats like oxtail and seafood; vegetables like artichokes and fresh herbs; and thin, foldable pizza slices. Now San Diegans can get a new taste of the Old World at Romanissimo, which opened at 565 Fifth Avenue this week.
It’s the latest endeavor for restauranteurs Vincenzo Loverso, Alessandro Minutella, and Giovanni Gargano, who also each have stakes in Roman Wolves, Allegro, and Vincenzo Cucina & Lounge. Minutella tells me their goal is to give guests another opportunity to try the unique culinary traditions of Rome, using traditional ingredients and preparation methods. “We like to say ‘Eat as the Romans do,’” she adds. I say, if Romans are serving a one-pound meatball, then I’m on my way.
Beth’s Bites
- Let it be known that I consider Convoy District to be hands-down the best area to eat in San Diego. So, whenever I see a new business joining the ranks of the already-stacked roster of deliciousness, I immediately add it to my list of “New Places to Eat” on my Notes app. (Everyone has one of those lists, right?) This week, a new listing for Miishien caught my eye, moving into the former Dokdo Sushi spot at 4690 Convoy Street, Suit 108. Despite my internet sleuthing, I didn’t manage to learn much about the forthcoming restaurant, so if you find out, drop me a line at [email protected].
- Oscar’s Mexican Seafood is poised to reopen its location at 746 Emerald Street in Pacific Beach in the next week after a remodel kept them closed for a few months. (Luckily, the other two locations remained open.) I wouldn’t presume to name any taco the “best” taco in San Diego—I don’t need the hate mail in my life—but Oscar’s has nailed it for years, and I’ll keep coming back for all the tacos and tortas I can handle.
- Is it me, or is there bagel news almost daily now? Today’s edition of San Diego Bagel News is that Desperado Bagels is now a little easier to get your hands on. The OB-based bagelry just became the official (weekend) bagel provider for Porchlight Coffee at 4865 Cass Street. Yes, you will probably still have to get there early to snag one (or two, no judgement).
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
