Santee’s Island-Themed Brewery Wants to Add a Kitchen Component

Santee’s Pacific Islander Beer Co. is on the prowl for an in-house culinary partner to prepare fare to pair with its existing lineup of beach-friendly ales and IPAs, reports West Coaster.

North County’s five-year-old craft brewery, outfitted with tiki-style decor, surf boards, and hang ten vibes, currently invites food trucks to park outside to fill up drinkers on everything from barbecue to street tacos and nachos.

Owners have now carved out a 330-square-foot section of the brewery that’ll be dedicated to a future kitchen setup focused on making one kind of cuisine.

The to-be-named food tenant would cover the buildout and half of the rent each month, co-owner and head brewer Will Fox tells WC. The partner will be able to pocket all food sales, he adds. The hope is to encourage more lingering at its tropical tasting room nestled in suburbia, which stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends (8665 Argent Street).

“We feel like we can make our place a destination people will want to spend time at while substantially increasing beer sales,” Fox tells the pub.

North Park’s beer haven Toronado just announced plans for San Diego-born Anthem Vegan to take over its kitchen inside starting this week.

• Pacific Islander Beer Co. adding kitchen [WC]
• Recently-Closed Anthem North Park Will Be Revived Inside Toronado’s Kitchen [ESD]