One of CA’s Hottest Craft Beer Companies Just Bought Up a Bunch of LA Brewpubs

Star Central Coast beer brand Figueroa Mountain is expanding into Los Angeles in a big way, as part of a partnership with the Tony Yanow-founded ABC Pubs. The move means multiple Figueroa Mountain locations in greater Los Angeles in just a matter of months, from West LA to Sherman Oaks.

Three former ABC Pubs properties will be turned over to become Figueroa Mountain brewpubs over the next several months, starting with the Stalking Horse on Pico Boulevard in the Rancho Park area, just east of Apple Pan. That space at 10543 W. Pico Boulevard will become an outlet primarily dedicated to the group’s Agua Santa Mexican-style lager, with food to match. The new deal also includes a rebrand of the Broxton brewpub in the heart of Westwood near UCLA. Finally, the Figueroa Mountain team acquired the closed former Bluebird Brasserie space at 13730 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. That restaurant and drink spot closed at the start of the pandemic, and will now transition into a German-leaning spot for lagers.

The three outlets will each begin a transformation process to become their own Figueroa Mountain locations while keeping some of the same design elements and brewing setups in place. The plan is for the company to brew smaller batches of test beers and award-winning brews like Hoppy Poppy IPA on-site, while also offering food, occasional tap takeovers, and other options for locals.

What’s more, the group has assumed control of Mohawk Bend in Echo Park, though Figueroa Mountain tells Eater that operationally there are no plans for the California-focused craft beer restaurant with vegan leanings to change dramatically in the coming months. The group also notes that no staff is being laid off across any of the open locations during the transition. The Artisanal Brewing Collective group isn’t leaving LA entirely, though; they still operate Brennan’s on the Westside, Downtown’s Library Bar, and Tony Yanow continues to own and run Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank.

Figueroa Mountain has somewhat quietly grown to become a powerhouse in the Southern and Central California craft beer scene. First founded in 2010 by Jim and Jamie Dietenhofer out of the Santa Ynez Valley area, the group now offers taprooms in Santa Barbara, Buellton, Los Olivos, Westlake Village, and beyond. The group even pulled in two medals at the recent World Beer Cup and has hundreds of awards under its belt.