This landmark California brewery was slated for closure: Instead it’s returning to its roots

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

A month before its scheduled closure, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido got a last minute reprieve, when its original owners Greg Koch and Steve Wagner announced plans to resume operations of the landmark brewery.

“The legacy will continue,” Koch announced on Instagram. “Steve Wagner and I are taking over the restaurant and gardens at 1999 Citracado Parkway in Escondido and carrying them forward as an independent restaurant under a new name.”

The news allayed the worries of beer fans who mourned the loss of the site, with its walled gardens and extensive tap menu.

“I’m literally CRYING TEARS OF JOY” one instagram user posted.

Koch said the site will close as planned on Nov. 13, then reopen at a later date, once the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control approves the required license change. He said he and Wagner are exploring possibilities for the adjacent brewery.

“To everyone who has shared a meal, celebrated a milestone or spent an evening with friends in these gardens: we look forward to welcoming you back,” Koch wrote.

Stone Brewing, which helped popularize IPA-style beers and the craft brew movement, launched in San Diego County in 1996, and then opened its flagship location in Escondido a decade later in 2006.

The unique site served as a taproom for Stone’s signature brews, such as its Ruination IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale: bold, higher alcohol beers that contrasted with milder, mass-produced American lagers and pilseners.

It includes a full service restaurant and sprawling grounds hidden behind a walled exterior, with tiered gardens and patios clustered around a granite koi pond and waterfall. The unique site serves as a gathering place for locals, who toast births, marriages and anniversaries there, and also draws global tourists.

“We did a pilgrimage to Escondido and Liberty Gardens a number of years back all the way from Scotland and we’d never experienced anything like it,” one person posted.

In 2022, Japanese beer-maker Sapporo bought the Stone Brand, including its production and distribution facilities, restaurants in Escondido and Liberty Station, and taprooms throughout Southern California. In April the company announced it was selling the brand to Firestone Walker, based in Paso Robles, California, and its Belgian parent company Duvel Moortgat.

But the San Diego taproom wasn’t part of the sale. In the summer, Sapporo stated it would close the site in November, filing WARN notices with the California Employment Development Department stating that it expected to lay off 272 employees, starting next week.

It was among numerous breweries throughout San Diego and California that are closing or downsizing, as the craft brew industry faces cultural changes and economic pressures.

Then on Wednesday, Francisco Vargas, economic development management analyst for the city, announced that Koch and Wagner would buy it back, preserve most of the hospitality jobs and open under a new name and brand.

The plan reflects collaboration with local economic development officials and “strong community support for preserving the Bistro & Gardens and its role in the Escondido community,” Vargas wrote in an email to CalMatters.

On social media, Stone fans peppered Koch with questions about the revamped site and offered name suggestions, such as “Hop Rocks,” “Chisel” and “Granite.” In response, Koch teased an upcoming poll of possible names.

“Will death metal still be played in the men’s room???” the very first commenter asked.

“The answer is somewhere between Yes and Hell Yes!” Koch answered, promising that “It WILL return. Louder.”