San Francisco Brewing Co. is going big in Mission Bay. The Ghirardelli Square brewer is opening a sprawling new brewery and taproom this Friday, June 26, in the former Seven Stills space, promising an all-ages-friendly hangout with an arcade, a performance area and 20 taps.
Big New Home at 100 Hooper
The company has signed a lease for an 18,680-square-foot space at 100 Hooper St., its largest footprint yet, according to a report by The Real Deal. The building previously housed Seven Stills Brewery & Distillery before that company wound down its Mission Bay operations in 2022. JLL represented San Francisco Brewing in the lease, The Real Deal notes.
More Beer, Bigger Production and a Distillery
The Mission Bay site will feature a 30-barrel brewing system and multiple 60-barrel storage tanks, boosting production to roughly 15,000 barrels per year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Owner Josh Leavy plans to self-distribute into retailers and push into Northern California and international markets.
The taproom lineup will include hazy IPAs, blondes, pilsners and an Alcatraz Amber, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. An on-site copper pot still will turn out vodka, gin and whiskey under a new Hooper Distilling Co. label, giving the space a built-in spirits program alongside the beer.
Why Mission Bay?
Mission Bay has been on a construction tear, with new housing, office towers and corporate campuses turning the waterfront district into a reliable draw for restaurants and bars. Nearby Mission Rock and related projects have brought in major tenants such as Visa, helping create steady demand for neighborhood dining and entertainment, according to CoStar.
Owner Sees Diversification as Protection
Leavy, a former Salesforce employee who founded San Francisco Brewing in 2012, told the San Francisco Chronicle that pushing into spirits and a broader beverage lineup is very much a defensive move. “People are drinking less, but they’re still going out and getting mocktails,” he said, framing the distilling operation as one way to make the business more resilient if beer sales keep softening.
Industry Headwinds, but Experience-Driven Venues Persist
The expansion lands at a moment when U.S. per-capita alcohol consumption edged down between 2022 and 2023, according to a surveillance report from the NIAAA. That trend helps explain why so many breweries are diversifying their offerings.
Locally, the pressures are familiar. Seven Stills closed its Mission Bay flagship in 2022, and other Bay Area breweries have consolidated or shut their doors in recent years, as reported by Eater SF. Against that backdrop, San Francisco Brewing’s new outpost is another bet that the city’s beer scene can still thrive, provided it offers more than a quick pint…