Four natives of Lompoc, friends for 30 years and home brewers together for the past six or seven years, finally realized “a longtime dream” when their Cold Coast Brewing Company opened its doors in late April.
“We just love Lompoc,” said Eric Oviatt, one of the four owners. Which is fitting, because later in our conversation, fellow owner Michael Lamping laughed that the city seems to feel the same — “Lompoc is drinking us dry!”
The “Cold” in Cold Coast is an acronym comprised of the surnames of the four owners: David Caro, Oviatt, Lamping and Jason Drew. The business is located at 118 W. Ocean Ave.
Cold Coast occupies a unit built in 1916 as part of Moore’s Mercantile (later renamed Moore’s Department Store), Oviatt said, adding that until the mid-1960s, Moore’s was the largest department store between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The ceiling remains lamella, one of three remaining in Lompoc (the others are in the Anderson Recreational Center and the Veterans Memorial Building).
The Moore’s building is special for Oviatt for another reason — “my mother, Shirley Oviatt, worked at Moore’s Department Store in 1972 when she and my father first moved to Lompoc,” he said.
Given the building’s history, it’s fitting that some of the chairs now used by Cold Coast patrons hail from since-closed eateries, among them Saletti’s Italian Restaurant and the original La Botte, Oviatt said.
Cold Coast is a member of the California Brewers Guild and the Central Coast Brewers Guild, as well as the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau.
Before opening Cold Coast, the four owners brewed in Lamping’s garage. After several tries, they settled on “what we liked,” Lamping said. Their efforts led to eight taps, five flagship beers and a seasonal favorite. Included in the flagship taps are a honey blonde, a double IPA and a brown.
Without a kitchen, Cold Coast relies on food trucks to serve hungry customers, and on various days has a lineup of some of Lompo’sc and the Central Coast’s finest, among them Super Grill, Bubba’s Chicken and Waffles and Sassafrass.
Oviatt has suggested that the coordinators of the popular “Food Truck Fridays” event to relocate from the north end of Lompoc to the other side of the former Sissy’s restaurant, which is separated by an alley from the rear of Cold Coast.
He’s eyeing a “Taco Tuesday,” has plans for a trivia night, karaoke and perhaps poker when the brewery boosts its staffing.
The family-friendly Cold Coast offers craft sodas for kids, as well as craft popcorn and jerky, Oviatt said.
The owners hope to create a buzz in the block of South H Street, where another business, PCH Wine Bar, also recently opened.
“The community’s been very supportive. I believe Karma will be good to Old Town Lompoc,” Oviatt said.
To continue to thank Lompoc for its support, Cold Coast’s owners will focus on fundraising for the city’s youth via events such as jog- or walk-a-thons.
“This town once had more for youth to do than it now does — there was miniature golf, bowling and skating,” Oviatt recalled.
Cold Coast Brewing Company is open daily: From 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit Facebook, Instagram or https://www.coldcoastbrewing.com/ for tap and food truck specials.
(Laurie Jervis / Noozhawk )
— Laurie Jervis tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.