If opening a small business is challenging, stepping in as the new owner of one that has developed relationships with regulars for 25 years, one with over 1,500 members of its mug club—that’s downright daunting.
But on April 1—which he says is no joke, just the start of a new quarter—Mark Francis took over the longstanding Marina brewpub English Ales. He is inviting all to a meet and greet this evening, Friday, April 11, from 5-7pm.
Francis is a Marina native and graduate of Monterey High School who taught social studies and coached girls volleyball at Greenfield High School for 10 years. But he was also an avid home brewer and left education to make small-batch craft beer at Catalina Island Brewhouse.
The Southern California establishment was a coffee shop first. Francis did not have the brewing capacity of English Ales and its 10 tanks.
“It was barely a step up from home brewing,” he observes. “This is a big step up.”
To further ramp up the degree of difficulty, Francis is also now a first-time small business owner. Before taking over, he shadowed the owners and staff for two weeks.
“We definitely clicked,” he says. English Ales founders Peter and Rosemary Blackwell, as well as their daughter Karen Blackwell-Harrison will be on hand at tonight’s event.
It helps that Francis was already familiar with the place as a frequent patron. Brewers Michael Avina and John Fox remain with the place, as does its veteran staff.
“That means a lot—continuity is so important,” Francis notes. “They know how it works. I’m going to learn from that.”
It also helps that the new owner is well aware of the importance of English Ales.
The cozy spot opened in 2000, when microbreweries were scarce in the area. Until Alvarado Street opened the tap, English Ales and Peter B’s in Monterey made up the craft brewing scene.
A new owner often brings significant changes. In this case, however, Francis respects the foundation, the unchanging line of English-inspired beers.
Besides, he says, over the last two weeks, regulars would point at a tap and say “You’re going to keep that, right?”
“I love that,” Francis says with a smile. “There are expectations.”
He plans to keep the core beers and perhaps start a seasonal rotation. He keeps a file of favorite recipes. Of Avina and Fox, Francis adds that “I’m sure they have recipes of their own, too.”
Any changes will be on the small scale (the kitchen is testing out a beer cheese recipe using English Ales beer). But there is still an opportunity for the brewing team to explore modern styles of beer, without upsetting tradition.
“That’s a really fun challenge,” Francis says.