Giant new SLO hangout features craft beer, cocktails and more. Get a look inside The Hub

One half of The Hub — San Luis Obispo’s newest entertainment spot on Monterey Street — is up and running, its owners say, with the second business set to open in the coming days.

The effort of local entrepreneurs Stephen Kroener and George Peterson, The Hub took over the massive lot at 1701 Monterey St. that was left vacant by the closure of Daylight Home and Patio in 2021.

The project renovated the 12,000-square-foot building to make space for new locations for Peterson and Kroener’s existing businesses: Peterson owns Central Coast Brewing while Kroener owns and operates Krobar Craft Distillery.

Krobar held a soft opening for its new tasting room in the space in mid-September, and the new Central Coast Brewing location is set to officially open sometime this week.

“This is the biggest, best social club or social experience that you’re going to find in San Luis Obispo County,” Kroener said of the project. “Huge plot, lots of space — indoor and outdoor — awesome cocktails, awesome beers. We have other things on tap. We have great food. It’s just a really fun social environment.”

Beside Krobar and Central Coast Brewing, the property also features both indoor and outdoor seating areas, space for live music, food and ice cream trucks and games and activities for guests.

It also has room to host large gatherings or parties, Peterson said.

“The definition of a hub is a place for people, and a lot of this is based on that,” he said. “You can come here with one person, or you can come here with 20 and you’re gonna be in the center of something.”

The Hub project scaled down due to licensing issues

For those who have been following the development, The Hub project as it is now is paired down from what was originally approved by the city in September 2022.

The Hub was initially slated to have not only the distillery and brewery, but also feature new locations for Nautical Bean Coffee, Art’s Cyclery, Lone Oak Seltzer, SLO Axe Co. and Whalebird Kombucha.

According to Kroener, there were some issues with getting the appropriate California Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses to include all those businesses in the project, so instead they decided to scale it back to just Krobar and Central Coast Brewing.

Though it is not what they initially envisioned, Peterson said he felt the changes have not altered the character of the project.

“The Hub concept is pretty much intact,” he said.

‘We’re ready for the people,’ Hub owners say

The pair said a big factor in the creation of The Hub was a desire to serve the neighborhood and provide a space that can act as a anchor for the Monterey Street corridor.

And so far, they think they’ve achieved it.

Kroener said the feedback they’ve been getting from nearby residents is that “this has been needed for years upon years.”

Though there is still some other work to be done on the property — both spaces are currently operating under temporary occupancy permits — Peterson said The Hub is ready and eager to begin welcoming customers.

“Everything’s ready to go,” Peterson said. “People are coming in, people are seeing the place. We’re open for business ... we’re ready for the people.”