ESCONDIDO — Stone Brewing’s 20-year run in Escondido is coming to an end, with the owners expected to close the company’s local facilities and lay off approximately 220 workers.
Sapporo USA, which purchased Stone Brewing in 2022, filed a notice with the state announcing an initial round of more than 50 layoffs expected in October.
Earlier this year, Sapporo sold the Stone Brewing brand to Firestone Walker Brewing Co. and Duvel Moortgat USA. Firestone Walker will oversee the brand’s West Coast operations, while Duvel will handle operations on the East Coast.
Following the sale, Firestone Walker shifted Stone’s Western brewing production to Paso Robles. Sapporo, meanwhile, planned to wind down and eventually cease brewing operations at its facility on Citracado Parkway in Escondido. Brewing operations will continue at the company’s Richmond, Virginia, location.
As part of the acquisition, four retail locations are expected to remain open: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens — Liberty Station and taprooms in Little Italy, Oceanside and Pasadena. The Liberty Station location will continue providing hospitality services and operating as an active brewing facility.
Stone’s Escondido properties, which include production facilities and a restaurant, were not part of the sale and remained under Sapporo’s control.
In a statement, Sapporo USA CEO Zach Keeling acknowledged the closure as “an understandably difficult time for our Escondido employees and community.” He also said the company “had not yet found a viable long-term solution” for its Escondido facilities.
Stone Brewing was founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996 in a warehouse on Mata Way in San Marcos during the early stages of the West Coast craft brewing boom. The brewery opened that July with three employees and produced 400 barrels during its first year. Stone soon gained a following for beers such as Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale, helping establish San Diego County as a center of the nation’s emerging craft beer industry.
By the time the company relocated to neighboring Escondido in 2006, it had established itself as a major American craft beer brand.
In May, the restaurant and company store assured the community that they would continue operating as usual for the following six months.
The closure of the Escondido properties means the loss of the brewery’s bistro and gardens, which feature an expansive open-air patio and a 1-acre beer garden.
The Escondido bistro also offers 36 craft and specialty beers on tap, an extensive wine list and accommodations for banquets and weddings. The popular destination, which will remain open for at least a few more months, recommends making reservations through its website.
