For 16 years Hops & Pie has served craft beer and really good pizza in Berkeley, but when it started, the hip neighborhood it resides in felt completely different.
“We were the only new business, there were none of the apartment buildings, no trendy businesses, just old guys hustling musical instruments, pawn shops, bodegas, and little mom and pop shops,” said Drew Watson, who co-owns Hops & Pie with his wife, Leah. “When I look at it now, it’s unrecognizable.”
Hops and Pie opened in 2010, right on Tennyson Avenue in what used to be an art gallery. The current shop spans two store fronts and a parking-lot-turned-patio. But before all that, the restaurant only occupied the left half of the space, where the bar is. It was small, intimate, and one of the first places to not only specialize in craft beer, but brought in great brews from around the country.
“We were like craft beer and pizza, and people told us we were idiots because we weren’t going to pour Coors Light,” said the chef. Turns out the Watsons had the right idea.
The Beginning of Hops & Pie
Watson and Leah met in San Diego, where they both worked in hospitality, as a chef and food and beverage director respectively. Eventually, Watson realized he didn’t want to keep putting in all his time, energy, creativity, and life into restaurants run by other people. He had two options, he said, build his own place, or go to umpire school and enter the world of baseball.
“I tell people I only know cooking, fishing, and baseball, so it made sense to me,” he said over the phone. “Then Leah and I were talking about it, it was about 2009 when we had those conversations in San Diego, and we had gotten into craft beer.”
With the dream of being an umpire on hold, Watson went the restaurant route. Pizza, he added, has always been a thing between him and his wife since they both grew up on the East Coast. In fact, Watson explained, the pizza where he lived in South Shore had Portuguese influences thanks to the fishing community there. Throughout childhood he had the country’s smoky, garlic and paprika spiced linguiça on top of his pie. He had never tried Italian sausage until he moved to Boston at the age of 19.
As for location, Leah’s brother lived in Denver, and the couple wanted to be around family, which they didn’t have in San Diego. So, they wrote a business plan and started looking for funding and a space to house what would become Hops & Pie. But it almost didn’t happen.
“We looked all over the city and couldn’t find one. But in the 25th hour, while we were helping a catering company in order to pay our rent, we walked by a place that had a ‘for rent’ sign,” said Watson, explaining they were staying with Leah’s brother just down the street from where this building was. “We wanted to be in a neighborhood. It was rough and tumble then. It was gritty, and we could almost afford it.”
A Stream of Good Luck and Connections
From there, the Watsons experienced a chain of serendipity. For starters, when they signed a lease they also put in a clause that gave them first right of refusal if the building came on the market. In 2015 they ended up buying the property, which included the bar, the space next to it, and the parking lot.
When they went to get a loan to buy the building, Community Bank took a chance on them. The same sort of luck happened when they got Russian River Brewing Company to send a few kegs of the popular beer their way, which at the time was almost impossible for a small bar. Watson had become a fan of the California brand when living in Sonoma.
“When I was a broke-ass line cook and would maybe have $20 to my name, I would go to have a couple pints [at Russian River]. When we opened, I wanted to see the Russian River [on our taps],” he said. Watson took a chance and called the brewery, and coincidentally owner Vinnie Cilurzo picked up. “I told him the story and said it would mean a lot to me to pour your beer too. He obliged, and it helped put us on the map.”
Hops & Pie Today
Today Hops & Pie remains one of the top craft beer spots in the city. So much, in fact, during the Great American Beer Festival it brings in a 40-tap draft truck in order to pour even more rare and special brews to fans.
The food has been a draw too, though through the years it has shifted. The pizza, which used to be made with Colorado beer, now features a sourdough crust. The shop also serves Detroit and New York styles, and still offers the slice of the day. You’ll find sandwiches, salads, and plenty of appetizers, all perfect with a cold pint.
Hops & Pie also has become a good neighborhood spot for families. Thanks to the large outdoor and covered porch, an approachable and affordable menu, and the toys the Watsons have made available to play with, it’s kid friendly. Part of that reflects the family’s own growth, as they have two children of their own, ages 12 and 6.
The Chef Takeover
Expect a busy day as the Watsons start off with their kids and dogs. Once they’re dropped off, you’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like inside Hops & Pie. But the whole day isn’t spent in the kitchen. Watson said he is very lucky that, after 15 years, he can spend a lot of time with the kids.
“I’m very involved in their life, it’s the way I want it to be,” he said. “I am with them, drop them at school, work, gym, then pick them up then soccer or hockey or baseball or theater and make dinner.”
Follow along as he showcases the day on Thursday, April 30. Make sure to comment and follow DiningOut Denver’s Instagram and Hops & Pie in order to be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card to the restaurant.
Visit Hops & Pie on Monday from 3 to p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 3920 Tennyson St., Denver, hopsandpie.com
