Brewery, taproom to open in Arroyo Grande

Craft beer enthusiasts will soon have a new spot to sample their favorite brew.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. will open a taproom and brewery at 1462 E. Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande by mid-January 2015.

The brewing company, which already has taprooms in Buellton, Los Olivos and Santa Barbara, recently opened a taproom and brewery on Betteravia Road in Santa Maria. It also plans to open another in Westlake Village in mid-December and is considering opening one in San Luis Obispo as part of a new commercial development at the northeast corner of South Higuera Street and Tank Farm Road.

The 6,500-square-foot taproom in Arroyo Grande will feature craft beer, beer floats and cocktails, craft sodas, a restaurant menu and Figueroa's Mug Club, which offers a host of benefits to members who pay a $150 annual fee. There will be light entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays. Decor at the taproom and brewery will include historical photographs and memorabilia, paying tribute to the local community.

Figueroa Mountain, based in Buellton, was founded in November 2010 by Jim and Jaime Dietenhofer, a Santa Ynez father and son team passionate about beer. The operation started as a 100-barrel production brewery and now produces about 20,000.

"We didn't go out looking to open three new taprooms along the Central Coast, but the opportunities were presented to us, and we couldn't pass up the chance to bring our beer to new communities," said Jaime Dietenhofer.

Figueroa's sales director Alex Jones noted that the expansion of their new taproom breweries "will allow for increased production and produce unique specialties available to all accounts." The Westlake Village and Arroyo Grande locations will have in-house breweries producing 1,500 barrels each year.

Figueroa declined to provide financial information on the company, including how much money it’s investing in the new venture. It plans to hire a total of about 45 employees for the Arroyo Grande and Westlake Village.

This story was originally published November 26, 2014 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Brewery, taproom to open in Arroyo Grande."