The Place
Wild Fields Brewhouse is tucked right off the main drag in Atascadero, CA - conveniently located just over the creek from City Hall and all the downtown shops. The space is nice and roomy with an open floor plan so that parents can keep an eye on their kiddos as they entertain themselves on the arcade games, in the toddler corner or with a round of rollerball!
Arcade games, rollerball, a toddler corner, and big screen make the brewhouse entertaining for everyone!
The brewhouse crafts various beers and an assorted pub style menu that has tasty bratwurst, soft pretzels, salads and a kids’ menu that is sure to please even the pickiest of palates!
The brewhouse has indoor and outdoor seating. Photo courtesy of Wild Fields Brewhouse.
“Atascadero is a special place and a hard working town. We wanted to create an approachable and accessible space for all the families that call it home.” - Jacque Fields
The History
Jacque and Ryan Fields, owners of Wild Fields Brewhouse, have worked in the restaurant and beer world for their entire careers. In fact, they met in southern California when Jacque worked at Beachwood Brewing where Ryan would frequent while he worked at Lost Abbey. Ryan then went on to be the Head Brewer at Pizza Port Brewing Co. in San Clemente and then built the barrel program at Beachwood Blendery, giving him plenty of experience that he could apply to the couple’s own brewery.
“Ryan was born to brew beer. He loves everything about the process and he produces excellent brews.” - Jacque Fields
After spending many years in Southern California, and once the couple started a family, they knew it was time for a change. Since Ryan grew up on the Central Coast, the move north seemed like the best option.
Wild Fields Brewhouse owners, Jacque & Ryan Fields. Photo courtesy of Wild Fields Brewhouse.
During their 5 year plan to relocate, Jacque and Ryan started their search for the best location for their dream brewery. They approached the City of Atascadero and found the staff there to be really helpful, and open to their ideas. They showed them around the space they are in today, which had been the temporary City Hall up until 2018. Previous to that, it was an arcade and bowling alley (that Ryan happened to frequent when he was growing up) which solidified Jacque’s dream of including rollerball lanes in the brewery!
They signed their lease in June 2018 and build out began shortly thereafter. The finished product is wonderfully unique and includes a 100 year old cedar tree that once stood in the Atascadero Sunken Gardens. Those helpful folks at City Hall asked Ryan and Jacque if they needed any wood for the build out because the tree had recently been removed and was being milled in Santa Margarita. The bar top and all of the booths in the brewhouse are a part of that 100 year history!
The A-Town Humble Pies Connection
Jacque and Ryan were thrilled to welcome the community through their doors beginning December 2019. But, as you can imagine, the following years were full of many ups and downs.
They had to open and close the brewhouse 4 times since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required them to get creative with their business model in various ways.
So, when Jeff Wade, Founder and Executive Director of Slow Money SLO, approached them about possibly renting out their kitchen space, they were open to the idea. Although they were using their commercial kitchen to produce and sell family take-out meals, they had plenty of time during the week when the kitchen was not in use. This lent itself well to the needs of another small business, A-Town Humble Pies.
The pie makers needed more space for production, given the increased demand for their products, especially during the Holiday Season. So, Jeff connected Ian and Alicia Denchasy, owners of A-Town Humble Pies, to Wild Fields in October 2020 and the business owners got along right away. Pies started being produced in the brewhouse’s kitchen the next week.
A-Town Humble Pies loads product into their delivery truck at Wild Fields Brewhouse in December 2020. Photo courtesy of A-Town Humble Pies.
“We were not using our kitchen much, so I was glad to give another business a leg up by lending out the space.” - Jacque Fields
The Product
The kitchen connection between Wild Fields and A-Town Humble Pies has proved useful to both businesses. Ian and Alicia are able to keep up with demand for their baked goods, and Ryan and Jacque have enjoyed the marketing and promotion that this gives their business.
A-Town Humble Pies is selling products at many of the county’s Farmers Markets as well as to local restaurants and cafes. At each of these sales outlets, Ian and Alicia are quick to point to Wild Fields as not only their production location, but also as a great place to get good beer, good food, and a great family-friendly environment.
Jacque, Ian, Alicia, and Ryan enjoying some time together at the Atascadero Farmers Market. Photo courtesy of Wild Fields Brewhouse.
“We are always telling customers about Wild Fields because a lot of folks don’t know about them yet. We like to promote them to Farmers Market customers.” - Ian Denchasy
This outreach actually connected Jacque and Ryan to Anne Little, who built the building that Wild Fields occupies. Anne walked into the brewhouse after learning about it at Atascadero Farmer’s Market while she was chatting with Ian and Alicia! Jacque was thrilled to sit and talk with her for hours, learning about the history of their special space.
The two businesses have made other connections as well, like when Wild Fields was the beer vendor, and A-Town Humbles Pies provided dessert for a local wedding! Or, during the Holiday Season, when Wild Fields was the pick-up location for all their pre-ordered pies, which introduced customers to a brewhouse they didn’t yet know about.
Ryan and Jacque are happy to provide the space for their collaborative kitchen borrowers while A-Town Humble Pies builds out their own facility.
The Best Part
It is inspiring to see these two businesses where they are today, considering the hugely challenging last 2 years! Not just because they are open, but because through it all, they both remained dedicated to providing the best and freshest products to their customers.
The food selection at the brewhouse is not only unique in a town maxed out on pizza and burritos, but also a delicious pairing with Ryan’s excellent, award winning beers. Furthermore, Jacque creates a welcoming, fun, and comfortable space for all the folks who walk through the doors. She is always quick to help folks choose a beverage based on their palate preferences, and has a wealth of knowledge about beer flavor profiles and which foods pair well with each. (Ask her about the cask beer when you go to visit!)
Wild Fields has beverages for any palate, with categorization to help customers choose what they will enjoy.
And for dessert, A-Town Humble Pies offers top notch varieties that are always seasonal and locally sourced. During the winter citrus season for example, you can enjoy unique flavors like limequat or meyer lemon-passion fruit!
Locally sourced limequat pie! Photo courtesy of A-Town Humble Pies.
You can enjoy some A-Town Humble Pie at Wild Fields Brewhouse, order a pie on their website, or grab a slice at your local Farmers Market!
Wild Field’s beers can be found at some tap rooms around the county (and beyond), but if you’re local, we recommend heading over to 6907 El Camino Real in Atascadero to enjoy the full experience, including their arcade games, rollerball, and events!
Mondays are Trivia Night, Thursdays are Cask Away Night, and monthly they host Paint & Pints and Makers Markets!
If your business is looking for commercial kitchen space, Slow Money SLO is ready to help you find the right fit! Contact us today!
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