Entrepreneurs looking to get some only-slightly-used brewery equipment are advised to contact the URBN Restaurant Group. The company has ceased brewing operations at its El Cajon brewpub, URBN St. Brewing Co., with no intentions to resume. That means everything from its 15-barrel brewhouse to its fermentation vessels and other appurtenant apparatuses are up for sale.
The decision to shut down was not made based on beer quality. Brewmaster Callaway Ryan and assistant brewer Ben Accord made good beer—URBN St. Saison was exceptional enough to earn a medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival. It was an inevitable business decision following a lack of proper calculation when URBN decided to get into the brewing business by taking over the former site of the El Cajon Brewing Company back in 2014.
According to URBN Restaurant Group representatives, a primary investor was not aware how capital-intensive it would be to open a brewery. Because of this, the brewery opened lacking adequate funding. Selling beer became problematic because the beer could not be sold at a price that would sustain the operation. Eventually the decision was made to cut losses and stop funding the part of the operation that was losing money.
Matt says
Interesting development, makes you wonder how the City of El Cajon will feel about the brewing equipment they partially paid for being sold off……
Mark Nobel says
They take over a location where they have to assume the former occupants $400,000 defaulted loan to the city, and it’s the brewing they think was too cost intensive?
Makes about as much sense as cooking a pizza in a gas oven with some rocks in it and calling it coal fired…
david valentine says
Seems the restaurant will stay.
FB name change to URBN Coal Fired Pizza
Randy D says
Wow, does this mean the restaurant business will remain and they’ll get beer from other sources?
El Cajon is not the best venue. The food menu was very limited, pretty expensive and then you have to deal with El Cajon. Business should pick up when the Marriott open across the street though.
Carlos Lee says
Very true, they had so much potential and heart. I hope the Brewers land back on their feet.
Greg Homyak says
Seems like that building is cursed or haunted. Two breweries come in, two breweries leave. Sorry to see them go. I’m sure the brewers will find a home at another brewery.