Popular SLO brewery lost its home a year ago. Now it’s open again in a new massive space
A year after it was forced to shut its doors, Bang the Drum Brewery has reopened in a new space at the south end of San Luis Obispo.
Over the past 12 months, Bang the Drum planned and completed a major overhaul of its new tenant space at 1150 Laurel Lane, Suite 130.
The brewery’s new home is located in the back of the same 17-acre complex where the Crux Climbing Center once operated. (The climbing gym closed after 25 years, according to its website.)
While Bang the Drum has added a new menu and several new drink options, the brewery’s popular concerts, trivia nights and open mic events are on hold due to coronavirus restrictions.
Bang the Drum re-opened Aug. 31 with limited, flexible outdoor dining hours.
Business owner Noelle DuBois, 31, said Bang the Drum is waiting for its final permitting go-ahead to begin serving alcohol. That is expected any day, she said.
“We’ve already started serving some of our food and coffee options outdoors for a couple of hours per day,” DuBois said. “We are still waiting on the actually green light from the (state Alcoholic Beverage Control agency). We expect that to come any minute.”
Once fully permitted, Bang the Drum will be open noon to 7 p.m. — with plans to expand to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday when business operations return to normal with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
SLO brewery has a new location, look
Bang the Drum Brewery was forced to move from its original Orcutt Road location one year ago because of a mixed-use development project featuring 78 homes, commercial and office space that’s currently under construction.
The brewery’s new building has 4,300 square feet of space inside and 1,500 square feet of outdoor dining space.
Bang the Drum has opened a kitchen with food options such as savory pies, beer-infused steak, kale salad, macaroni and cheese and almond biscotti.
Those foods can be paired with the brewery’s newly added lineup of Whalebird Kombucha and wine on tap, and its brand-name beers such as Draca and King Mate.
Espresso, iced tea, champagne, and cider are new menu additions as well.
“I’m so glad we ended up here because it has such an amazing feel and it has so much outdoor space for us to be able to operate right now and in the future,” DuBois said. “It reminds me of the (fictional) magical world of Narnia looking out into the trees off the patio.”
Bang the Drum Brewery opens on Laurel Lane
Bang the Drum Brewery first opened at 950 Orcutt Road in 2014.
Tasked with finding a new location last year, DuBois settled on the Laurel Lane building located in the back of an expansive business complex that borders a city bike path. It’s located just around the corner from Bang the Drum’s original location.
Bang the Drum’s new spot boasts an interior space that’s about four times the size of the previous location.
The commercial space previously housed End of the Line Cafe. It now features a new patio, a remodeled interior with some repurposed wood from the old building and a kitchen and brewery for testing recipes for possible additions to the menu.
Bang the Drum plans to contract a brewer to produce its main supply of brand beers off-site.
Customers can use ample parking or arrive by bike with direct access from the nearby bike path.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to our live music events because we love our local artists, and they’re so much a part of what we do,” DuBois said. “But we’re not there quite yet (because of COVID-19 restrictions).”
DuBois hosts regular Facebook Live chats updating Bang the Drum fans on new beers, the new building and proper bar etiquette, among other topics.
Business relies on community support, Kickstarter
DuBois said re-opening the brewery is emotional. When she launched her business six years ago, she said, her father was by her side, helping her navigate uncharted territory as a first-time business owner in her 20s.
Her late father, architect Gary DuBois, helped his daughter transformed an old Orcutt Road warehouse into a homey pub and outdoor patio with a stage. He also offered a helping hand at the bar, serving drinks and working the cash register.
Gary DuBois died of cancer in April 2018.
Over the past several months, Noelle DuBois said she relied on a local team of advisors, including the Central Coast’s Small Business Development Center, to help guide her through the financing hurdles of re-opening and financing major tenant upgrades, while obtaining permits from several government agencies.
The business also launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to help cover costs, raising more than $32,000.
“I’m extremely grateful to our supporters and an incredible group of people who have truly cared and helped me through this process,” DuBois said. “There were moments when I didn’t think we could do it. And it’s been really hard work. But we’re finally here.”
Bang the Drum currently has just three staffers — DuBois, Michael McCormick and Elissa McConnell.
McCormick, a cabinet maker, helped construct the new bar, a winding, curvy design for patrons to rest their drinks on.
DuBois said that she’ll be hiring more employees as the business ramps up its operations.
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