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Business continues to be good for Buellton’s Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, which has plans to expand its distribution outside Southern California and outside the state.
The craft brewer that’s been steadily growing since its founding in 2010 will now be available in stores throughout Central Valley’s Kern County by partnering with two distributors there: Advance Beverage Company in Bakersfield and Donaghy in Fresno.
There aren’t any current plans to open a taproom in the Central Valley, but Figueroa Mountain is planning to distribute beer to the Inland Empire area east of Los Angeles “very soon,” according to brand manager Kady Fleckenstein.
By the end of 2016, the brewer plans to expand distribution to approximately five new surrounding states, she told Noozhawk.
Co-founders and father-son duo Jim and Jaime Dietenhofer already distribute their brews in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
Figueroa Mountain has tasting rooms in Buellton, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Los Olivos, Arroyo Grande and Westlake Village — the most recent addition.
“We decided to expand to the Central Valley because the people there align with our core values: family, local pride and community,” Figueroa Mountain sales director Alex Jones said.
“The history of California is as important to the Central Valley as it is to the Central Coast. We have already had an amazing response. Everyone has been welcoming and engaging. The two distributors we partnered with are family-owned, multi-generational Central Valley companies that take pride in what they do. It’s clear we’ve made the right decision with these new partnerships.”
Distributors will be rolling out the company’s core beer brands: Hoppy Poppy IPA, Lizard’s Mouth Imperial IPA, Danish Red Lager, Davy Brown Ale, FMB 101 and more.
Gandolfo’s Opens
A Gandolfo’s New York Deli has opened at 718 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara.
The deli taking over the former original Killer B’s BBQ and Bar location was supposed to open last August, according to one of its owners, but delays caused the doors to only recently open.
Craig Gandolfo founded the deli eatery in 1989 in Utah and it has since grown to 50 locations in 18 states.
Souvenir Shop Opens
An Only in Santa Barbara souvenir shop has opened at 633 State St.
The store took over the former Velo Pro Cyclery location. The local bike shop moved last year to Upper State Street.
New Real Estate Office Opens
GPS Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., a new full-service brokerage firm, announces the opening of its downtown Santa Barbara office at 1129 State St., Suite 3.
Pamela Scott, a veteran of the local real estate industry, recently founded GPS Commercial Real Estate as a commercial real estate brokerage company serving Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties with the leasing and sale of retail, mixed-use, land and investment properties.
“I am excited to open the doors of our brokerage company,” she said in a statement.
“The office is beautiful, overlooking State Street in downtown Santa Barbara and is in a great central location to serve our tri-county clients.”
The office opening will take place April 18.
Village Properties Celebrates Anniversary
Village Properties is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a homegrown, locally-owned real estate firm.
Ed Edick and Renee Grubb founded the company in 1996 with the philosophy that real estate is a full-time career, requiring full-time commitment.
Village Properties has grown to serve the many areas of Santa Barbara County, with offices in Montecito, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez and more than 150 agents and brokers.
Their agents and brokers serve an extensive area including Ojai, Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Buellton, Los Olivos and Santa Ynez.
Grubb and Edick established the Teacher’s Fund in 2002, a nonprofit to assist local teachers with the purchase of supplies, materials, and equipment needed for classrooms.
Village Properties also added a Teacher’s Fund Golf Tournament and Cocktail Party to help fund the nonprofit.
“It’s interesting, I’ve spent one third of my life at Village Properties and yet it seems like we started yesterday,” Edick said in a statement.
“Being a local myself, we are thankful for the local support from our community for the last 20 years. We are excited to discover what the future holds.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.