The time has at last come for a change here at Bagby Beer Company. Our brewery has been the singular focus of our lives since long before it was a tangible, physical place. First born in our hearts, it was fueled into existence with unbridled passion and then maintained by our undying commitment to it; this company has been a deeply felt, extraordinarily personal endeavor from inception. Since day one we have worked tirelessly to share our love for great things of top quality through countless expressions - large and small - that collectively have become the Bagby experience for our guests and employees.
At the outset we hoped to create something that did not yet exist – a casual, comfortable, fun, modern place to enjoy some of the world’s best beers, brewed by one of the world’s most dedicated and awarded brewers, in North County San Diego, in Oceanside. We wanted the kitchen, cocktail, and wine programs to follow suit, and to illustrate that it was possible to successfully bring all of these elements together. We envisioned a diverse, committed and interested team, and hoped to deliver a great, elevated experience - both for folks that were well experienced with each of these elements, and equally for those who were not. We hoped to serve as a trusted partner, where even if you had never experienced a certain beer style, or a classic cocktail, or a new-to-you wine varietal, that you could come to Bagby and have a great version of each. We hoped to teach and inspire and, of course, to continue to be taught and inspired.
In large part we believe we have done that. We’ve certainly taken some lumps over the past almost decade, with the past several years being particularly devastating. It shouldn’t be news to anyone that restaurants have been absolutely gutted throughout Covid - but also in the years that have succeeded it. We can discuss the myriad reasons for that, but the bottom line is we’ve struggled to find our way back. And with a spot as large and complex as ours, this has proven to be a challenge that, we now know, exceeds our own abilities and our emotional, psychological, and financial fortitude. Adding to all of these factors was the impending end to our first eleven-year lease term; we needed to consider the looming requirement to commit to another five years, or accept it was time to make a difficult decision.
While this reality has been approaching on the horizon for some time, it has been crushing to consider what is now the inevitable. Our thoughts have moved beyond what this means for us and have landed on what this would mean for our dedicated team. We have told anyone who cared to ask (or was willing to listen) that our current staff is without question the very best we’ve ever had the pleasure of working beside. If you’ve followed our progress through the years, particularly through Covid, we hope you know how passionate we are for our people. Knowing there will be an impact to them has been especially weighty.
It is only recently that we have been able to identify a path forward for them and, so it seems, for the spirit of Bagby here in Oceanside. Our very good friends and respected colleagues at Green Cheek Beer Company will be taking over the Bagby Beer property effective sometime in the mid first quarter of 2024. There is no other brewery ownership team - Brian Rauso and Evan Price - that we have had the privilege of knowing on a personal and professional level for almost a decade, for whom we have the utmost respect, than the very fine folks at Green Cheek. Jeff and Evan have known each other in the beer industry for almost 15 years - back when Jeff was at Pizza Port and Evan at Taps - before each would start their own projects. Green Cheek opened in 2017 in Orange and has thoughtfully grown to two additional locations in Orange County over the years. We believe we share similar passions for awesome beer, excellent quality, and steadfast integrity. Importantly, Green Cheek has shown honor and respect what we have built over the years in Oceanside and understands how important our team is to us. They have indicated they will endeavor to retain our staff to the extent our existing team is interested; we are confident this transition will favorably position our current employees for the long term, with stability and additional avenues for growth and development.
We’d like to thank our loyal, kind guests and supporters – some have truly become close friends over the years. We could not be more thankful for knowing you, nor for this remarkable experience we have had so far. We have incredible memories of everything we’ve accomplished together, from GABF medals and other beer accolades, to many special Bagbyfests, Agave Fests, Lager Fests, and of course Brewbies. We’ve hosted so many important gatherings: some have announced new marriages, welcomed new babies, marked the end of a job and the beginning of another; some have heartily celebrated another year of life and have honored the well-lived lives of those that are no longer. First (and even second) dates have been had, intense study sessions that have led to degrees; there have been family reunions, and old-friend-get-togethers, dog adoptions, cat adoptions, fund raisers, donations, blood drives, makers markets and pairing dinners. We’ve conducted countless interviews, new hire trainings, staff meetings, employee parties, and who knows how many well-earned after work shifties. Some of our employees have gone on to wed and have babies of their own, some have moved on to other cities, states, careers and settled into really sweet lives. Like us, we hope you’ll carry these poignant memories with you. We will always be humbled and honored to have been the stage for some of life’s most important passages.
We whole-heartedly hope you will support the incoming and transitioning Green Cheek team. We think you will enjoy their fun, creative, top-quality, operation. We are truly optimistic about what is next and could not imagine better folks taking the reins. If you are curious about what is on the horizon for us, we’ll be around! Dande will remain for a period of time to help ensure a successful transition, and Jeff will remain brewing amazing beers in the brewery here for now, just under the Green Cheek banner. In the meantime, until it is finally time to hand over the keys at the end of the month, we hope you’ll come see us. Grab a Bagby beer, margarita or a world’s best paloma, a couple of our epic fish tacos or the one and only Bagby Ensalada. We’d love to see you.
We’ve had such an astonishing run - we will remain forever grateful for how our lives have been changed, how we’ve been touched by you all, and how much we’ve learned. What a gift.
Dande & Jeff Bagby