After closing its downtown Turlock location last year, Dust Bowl Brewing Co. will soon have three taprooms once again after announcing plans for a new space in Elk Grove.
The new taproom is expected to open at 9676 Railroad St. this fall and will see the Turlock-based brewery expand in Elk Grove’s Old Town Historic District. The announcement this week came one year after Dust Bowl’s original taproom in downtown Turlock closed due to the pandemic and two years after the opening of their first satellite taproom in Monterey.
“While we had hoped to open a new taproom in 2020, those plans were put on pause while we all weathered the impact of the pandemic,” said Dust Bowl owner Brett Honore. “We used the time wisely to conduct further research and are excited with our decision to expand in Elk Grove. It’s in close proximity to our brewery in Turlock, which makes delivering fresh beer on a regular basis easy to execute.”
As Sacramento County’s second largest city, Elk Grove has a population of 178,000 residents and the city has recently invested millions to rehabilitate the infrastructure supporting the revitalization of the Old Town area. The new taproom is located within walking distance of the City’s new open-air pavilion where farmer’s markets, food trucks and outdoor concerts are planned, and the building is estimated to be over 100 years old.
Dust Bowl is no stranger to utilizing historic buildings; their Monterey taproom is located in a former train depot built in 1874.
“We are excited to welcome Dust Bowl Brewing Company to Elk Grove,” said Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen. “We believe they are a great fit for the historic building and the community...Having a brewery of Dust Bowl’s stature will be a wonderful addition to the atmosphere and vibrancy we are trying to create in Elk Grove. It will be fun for locals to have another great craft brewery experience, and certainly an attraction for visitors as well.”
The future taproom building is primarily made of exposed brick and was historically used as a warehouse for storing wine grapes being transported by rail in the early 1900s. Dust Bowl was drawn to the building because of its historical charm and relevance to its Dust Bowl-era brand roots, the company said in a press release. The overall interior measures just under 6,000 square feet, with approximately 3,000 square feet of customer space.
Indoor and outdoor seating will be available, as well as an enclosed private event space available for rent. A covered patio will feature overhead fans for warm days and heaters for cold weather, and patrons can also enjoy couch seating, picnic tables, fire pits and corn hole.
“We’ve been selling our beer in the Sacramento region through the on- and off-premise channels for nearly 10 years, so there’s already consumer awareness of our brand in the area,” said Dust Bowl owner and founder Brett Tate. “When we discovered the site opportunity, we knew the building was an ideal complement to our branding and perfectly located in an up-and-coming area. Our goal is to create a social and comfortable atmosphere to enjoy our local craft beer.”
Dust Bowl recently moved into Regional Brewery status in 2020 with a record 16,500 barrels of beer produced for the year and now ranks among the top 2.4% of craft breweries in California, the most competitive state with 958 craft breweries. To stay up to date with the new Elk Grove taproom, follow Dust Bowl on Instagram and Facebook.
