SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Over the past couple of years, many businesses have had to close their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, that is not the case with a popular brewery in the South Bay. Tim Parker, the owner of Chula Vista Brewery, is expanding his business to Eastlake. His new venture, Chula Vista Brewery of Eastlake, is two years in the making.
"To be so close to opening it's very exciting," says Parker.
Parker says the expansion to Eastlake is to impart to his love of community.
"Chula Vista is a big community, and it's also a great community. It's still in search of great craft beer, so I've always wanted to grow within my community, and even though COVID happened, I stayed the course."
Despite the pandemic, Parker stayed focused on his goal of expanding his business. He says Chula Vista is an area where the craft beer community is still growing.
"When I opened Chula Vista Brewery on Third Avenue, the city of Chula Vista didn't even turn on the street lights at night. At that time there was nobody out there. Now you walk out there and it is booming, you can't find parking anymore. It's changed a whole lot and it's still growing in its infant stage."
There is also something very unique about these two bars in Chula Vista and now Eastlake, and it's not necessarily the beer. It has to do with ownership.
"We're the only Black-owned brewery in San Diego County. Out of 150, I'm the only one, but that is not really the goal. The goal is to not be the only one."
Parker says owning a brewery is something he dreamed about when he retired from the Navy. So far, his dreams have come true.
"I love beer and I love making beer, and it just snowballed from there."
The grand opening of Chula Vista Brewery of Eastlake is on November 12.
