Daily Business Report: Monday, Jan. 10, 2022
Southern California’s first tribally-owned
brewery to open Jan. 16 in Ocean Beach
By Brandon Hernández
Brandon Hernández is the founder and executive editor of San Diego Beer News
It was nearly a year ago when the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians took over the Ocean Beach tasting room formerly operated by Belching Beaver Brewery. Opened in 2016, it did good business in the quirky coastal community, but a lack of outdoor space in the pandemic era led the Oceanside-based brewing company to opt out when its lease was up for renewal. This allowed the Rincon Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) to move in and overhaul the space.
After nearly a year of renovations, the tribe is readying to open the OB tasting room for its Rincon Reservation Road Brewery on Sunday, Jan. 16. The tasting room is at 4836 Newport Ave.
The county’s only tribal-owned brewing interest originally debuted at Harrah’s Southern California resort as SR76 Beerworks in 2016. Three years later, it temporarily closed before returning under veteran brewer leadership with a new name and branding. Since then, beers from “3R Brewery” have been sold into Costco and BevMo! stores, expanding the tribal brewery’s reach beyond Valley Center, but this will be its first off-reservation venue.
The 3,200-square-foot space is divided into a main bar and tasting room with views onto OB’s main commercial drag and a back room. A colorful, meaningful mural from artist Joe Hopkins, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, is visible upon entry and spans the length of the front room.
“Our story is about our Luiseño ancestors and the route they traveled from Palomar Mountain to the ocean,” says REDCO Board Chairwoman Ruth-Ann Rodriguez Thorn. “We want to let people know we are the original Californians, and we believe Joe has captured that in his mural.”
“I have depicted the sacredness of the traditional ancestral lands of the Luiseño people in a modern way,” says Hopkins. “Traveling from inland to the shores, not only to admire the beauty, but to take in the indigenous culture from a visual perspective that honors them, this mural is a celebration of who they are, where they come from and who they are today.”
The consumables at the OB tasting room are meant to celebrate the tribe, as well. A dozen taps will pour 3R Brewery’s beers, including Red Rattler Amber Ale, Chief IPA, Luiseño Hazy IPA, Oasis Blonde Ale, Rez Dog Hefeweizen, Tuupash Blueberry Saison, Alaawaka Spiced Hefeweizen and a pair of stouts (oatmeal and coffee). Upcoming collaboration beers brewed with fellow San Diego breweries will also be offered, along with beer-based cocktails, including Micheladas, Beermosas and “The Grazy”, a blend of hazy IPA and grapefruit soda.
While the OB tasting room is not yet licensed for food service (an application is in to the ABC for an upgraded license), former Marine Room chef de cuisine Ron Oliver is working up a menu utilizing Indigenous American ingredients, including elderberries, mesquite, tepary beans and acorn oil. Oliver is further honoring tribal food culture by growing foodstuffs such as squash, corn and beans for use in 3R Brewery’s dishes. The aforementioned ingredients find their way into new takes on traditional dishes such as fry bread and wewish (acorn porridge) as well as other creations created with the Luiseño people in mind.
“As the very first off-reservation tribal enterprise, we are thrilled to share our culture by way of our beer,” says Rodriguez. “Our documented history dates back 14,000 years and it’s about time we shared who we are as native, indigenous people. We are still here!”
As REDCO prepares to unveil its OB location, it is looking even further ahead. The tribe is planning to open another 3R Brewery tasting room in San Diego County. Next time around, REDCO hopes to purchase a building versus leasing a space. A specific site has yet to be determined, but if all goes as hoped, a second satellite brewery venue will debut before the year is out.
3R Brewery’s OB tasting room will be open Sunday through Thursday from noon to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from noon to midnight. The venue may be rented out for private events, and 3R Brewery’s current license will allow Oliver and his culinary team to provide on-site food service for such affairs.
TOP PHOTO: Rincon Reservation Road Brewery, also known as 3R Brewery, is Southern California’s first tribally-owned brewery. (Courtesy of Rincon Reservation Road Brewery)
Experts to share economic forecast
in virtual roundtable
Economists, industry experts and business leaders from various sectors will provide their thoughts on what 2022 will hold for the regional, national and binational economy at the 38th Annual Economic Roundtable on Jan. 13, at 9 a.m. Admission is free.
The Economic Roundtable is the longest-running, free local economic forecasting event in this region. This year’s event will be virtual.
You’ll hear about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace and where we’re headed, as well as how our cross-border access and relationships play an important role in the San Diego economy.
Alexandra Syphard reappointed to California
Wildlife Safety Advisory Board
Alexandra Syphard, 51, of La Mesa, has been reappointed to the California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board by Gov. Gavin Newsom. She has served since 2019.
Syphard has been adjunct professor in the Geography Department at San Diego State University since 2011 and an associate at the Conservation Biology Institute since 2018.
She was a chief scientist at Vertus Wildfire Insurance Holdings LLC from 2018 to 2021 and a senior research scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute from 2007 to 2018.
She was a postdoctoral research scientist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, SILVIS Lab in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology from 2005 to 2007 and a postdoctoral fellow in biology at San Diego State University from 2007 to 2008.
Syphard earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geography from San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Leslie Ryland and Y. Jennifer Lee promoted
to principal attorney at Shaffer Family Law Group
Leslie Ryland and Y. Jennifer Lee have been promoted to principal attorney at Schaffer Family Law Group in San Diego.
Ryland has been practicing since 1989 and has been with Schaffer Family Law Group since 2020. She is a Certified Legal Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Ryland has represented clients in a wide array of family law matters and has a special interest in custody issues. She has litigated complex financial matters as well as highly contested custody cases.
Lee has been practicing since 2016 and has been with the firm since 2019. She is a Certified Legal Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Her family law practice includes child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and property division. She is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and president-elect of the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego.
Kin Len brings Thai street food to North Park
By Candice Woo | Eater San Diego
Snacks and dishes popular at Thailand’s famous night markets have arrived in North Park where Kin Len has opened on 30th Street next to The Office. With a redesigned outdoor patio, the restaurant’s colorful interior is the nostalgic creation of owner Kan Sritong, who grew up in the country’s historic city of Chiang Mai. Decorated with vintage advertisements and retro snacks and toys, the space is currently offering dinner Tuesday through Sunday but will add weekend lunch service later this month.
Shake Shack to open Jan. 12 in Carlsbad
ShakeShack will open its doors Jan. 12 in Carlsbad, its fifth location in San Diego County. Located at 7740 El Camino Real, Suite K, the restaurant is part of The Beacon La Costa collection of dineries
The Shack provides a dining room and an outdoor patio. Guests can also place orders to-go at the Shack or preorder for pickup or delivery via the Shack App or web.
The Carlsbad Shack will feature a Shack Track walk-up window, which gives guests the ability to pre-order via the Shack app and pick up their food from the exterior of the Shack. Shack Track is Shake Shack’s digital pre-ordering experience.
Andrew McCaughan is chief development officer at Shake Shack.
Board of Supervisors meeting this week will be virtual
Due to increasing cases and current COVID-19 guidance, public participation in upcoming County Board of Supervisors meetings will be virtual. The board’s next meetings are Tuesday, Jan. 11 and Wednesday, Jan. 12.
The public can watch the meetings live and make a request to speak via teleconference or submit a written eComment.
Watch on TV:
• Cox channedl 24 or 19
• Spectrum channel 24 or 85
Listen on the phone:
• A call-in line is also available to lisen to the live board meeting while it is in session at 619-531-4716.
Pfizer acquires San Diego’s Arena
Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion
Pfizer has acquired San Diego’s Arena Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion, bolstering the company’s pipeline of medicines for inflammatory bowel diseases. The news comes soon after Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill received Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S. — delivering a more convenient treatment option for at-risk patients at a critical point in the pandemic.
HyperKelp collaborates with Northrop
Grumman to monitor glacial melt
HyperKelp is collaborating with Northrop Grumman to monitor the profound effects of climate change through Project Glacier Watch, a campaign to deploy critical Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors in the Arctic using HyperKelp’s Kelp Smart Buoy (KSB) as a hosted payload platform. Project Glacier Watch is part of Northrop Grumman’s Tech For Conservation initiative.
As part of Project Glacier Watch, HyperKelp is working with Northrop Grumman to deploy a reusable CTD payload to measure ice melt effectively. By operating a CTD profiler from HyperKelp’s autonomous KSB systems, climate scientists can access continuous data to monitor the rates and effects of ice melt below the surface.
The data provided by HyperKelp and Northrop Grumman will help scientists understand and mitigate the impact of climate change and sea-level rise. The companies aim to deploy these monitors in summer 2022.
H.G. Fenton Company awarded record
38 Mark of Excellence Awards
The Southern California Rental Housing Association has awarded H.G. Fenton Company a company-record 38 Mark of Excellence Awards in its 2021 awards cycle. The Mark of Excellence Awards honor outstanding achievement in the Southern California rental housing industry, highlighting individuals and communities who deliver excellent customer experiences.
First place awards included Rental Community of the Year nods for Urbana and Solterra, Multi-Site Manager of the Year recognition for Tony Giroux (managing Tierrasanta Ridge and overseeing Solterra and Scripps Landing, and Assistant Manager of the Year for Mia Bianchi.
San Diego’s SkySafe raises $30 million
for tech that flags outlaw drones
SkySafe, a San Diego startup that makes technology to protect airspace around airports, stadiums and critical infrastructure from miscreant drones, has raised $30 million in a second round of venture capital funding.
The money will be used to accelerate the company’s research and development and market expansion for its airspace security/management system.
Founded in 2015 by a team of cybersecurity and drone experts from UC San Diego, the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SkySafe’s latest funding brings its total amount of capital raised to $45 million.
