Business & Tech

Craft Beer Bigger Than Comic-Con? With $300M Impact, the Answer is Yes

Coronado Brewing Company and other San Diego area craft breweries pump an impressive amount of cash into the local economy, according to a university study.

Craft breweries like the Coronado Brewing Company and other local brewpubs had a $299.5 million economic impact on the region, according to a new study.

Craft brewing has been one of San Diego's fastest-growing business sectors, and the number of such breweries in the area has more than doubled in the last two years, according to the report. Local beer companies have won industry acclaim and generated widespread public interest.

The report, by the National University System Institute for Policy Research, said the impact of the industry is 1.5 times that of Comic-Con International, San Diego's famed and buzzworthy trade show, which injects $180 million into the economy.

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“San Diego's craft brewing industry is a major economic driver in the region,” said NUSIPR Senior Policy Analyst Vince Vasquez, who authored the study. “That said, more partnerships and investment will be needed to advance industry development long-term. Competitor markets are also experiencing similar growth and interest in new brewpubs and breweries.”

Vasquez studied numbers from 2011. With more breweries and established businesses opening, the 2012 economic impact should be greater, he said.

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He said local small breweries employ around 500 workers, with another 1,100 or so working at brewpubs.

The industry has also been a draw for tourism, according to Vasquez.

Coronado Brewing Company recently expanded, opening a San Diego brewing site and tasting room in addition to its Orange Avenue location.

The company also considered opening a new restaurant in Imperial Beach last year. Had the restaurant opened, it may have had a brewery with a special Imperial Beach brew, said co-owner Ron Chapman.

City News Service contributed to this report.


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