Anchor Brewing
Anchor Brewing is a historic San Francisco craft brewery founded in 1896, currently in a limited reopening phase under Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya's ownership, selling Anchor Steam and Old Foghorn beers direct-to-consumer via a single taproom and SF-only online ordering.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1896
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Anchor Brewing does
Anchor Brewing Company is a historic San Francisco craft brewery founded in 1896, currently operating in a transitional reopening phase following its May 2024 acquisition by Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani. The company's commercial footprint is presently minimal: a single physical touchpoint—Anchor Public Taps—operates with limited hours (through July 31st), and online beer ordering is fulfilled only within the San Francisco area. Core beer brands include the flagship Anchor Steam and historic Old Foghorn, for which federal label approvals have recently been filed as part of the reopening process. The technology foundation is traditional craft brewing with historic methods rather than any digital or automated platform layer.
The business model is direct-to-consumer beer sales, with revenue derived from taproom retail and limited e-commerce. There is no active wholesale or broad geographic distribution at present, and no pricing model is publicly disclosed. The target customer is craft beer consumers in the San Francisco Bay Area seeking a taproom experience and access to iconic American craft beer brands. Distribution is restricted to a single domestic market, and the company's website explicitly notes it is in a 'Work In Progress' state.
Anchor Brewing operates as a subsidiary of Chobani, a privately held food and beverage enterprise that also owns La Colombe Coffee. The company retains 51-100 employees and is showing signs of operational restart through permit applications and federal label approvals, though it faces a challenging craft beer market backdrop characterized by declining volumes and closures outpacing openings.
Anchor Brewing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Anchor Brewing
- Legal name
- Anchor Brewing Company
- Website
- https://anchorbrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1896
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Anchor Brewing is a historic San Francisco craft brewery founded in 1896, currently in a limited reopening phase under Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya's ownership, selling Anchor Steam and Old Foghorn beers direct-to-consumer via a single taproom and SF-only online ordering.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Anchor Brewing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Brewing
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
Keywords
Where Anchor Brewing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Anchor Brewing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Beer Sales (Direct-to-Consumer): Direct beer sales to consumers through taproom retail and online orders in the San Francisco area. Anchor Public Taps is currently open for business with limited hours through July 31st.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Anchor Brewing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Anchor Brewing is a historic San Francisco craft brewery founded in 1896 that produces and sells beer, including its flagship Anchor Steam and Old Foghorn brands. The company sells its products directly to consumers through the Anchor Public Taps taproom and an online ordering service that is currently limited to fulfillment in the San Francisco area. The brewery is in a reopening phase after nearly three years of closure under new ownership by Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya.
Product overview
Anchor Brewing operates as a craft brewery offering a portfolio of beer products centered around its flagship Anchor Steam and historic Old Foghorn brands. The company sells products directly to consumers through an online ordering service (limited to San Francisco area delivery) and through its Anchor Public Taps taproom location. The brewery is in the process of reopening after nearly three years of closure under new ownership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Anchor Public Taps The company's taproom location open for beer service, operating limited hours through July 31st, serving as the primary physical experience location for customers in San Francisco.
- Anchor Steam Beer Anchor Brewing's flagship historic beer brand, subject to recent federal label approvals as part of the company's planned reopening.
- Old Foghorn A historic beer brand in Anchor Brewing's portfolio, subject to recent federal label approvals as part of the company's planned reopening.
- Online Beer Ordering E-commerce service for ordering beer online, currently limited to fulfillment in the San Francisco area only.
Companies that use Anchor Brewing
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Anchor Brewing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Anchor Brewing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Anchor Brewing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 21st Amendment Brewery: San Francisco-based craft brewery with on-site taproom and packaged beer distribution. Directly comparable to Anchor as a fellow SF craft brewery with taproom operations and regional brand presence.
- Russian River Brewing Company: Iconic Bay Area craft brewery known for hop-forward and sour beers with on-premise brewing and distribution. Comparable to Anchor as a heritage Northern California craft brand with strong regional following.
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Pioneer American craft brewery founded in 1979 with national distribution and taproom locations. Highly comparable to Anchor as a foundational craft brand with national ambitions and established brewing heritage.
- Lagunitas Brewing Company: Major craft brewery now owned by Heineken, founded in Petaluma CA with national distribution. Comparable to Anchor as a Northern California craft heritage brand that scaled to national distribution.
- New Belgium Brewing: Colorado-based craft brewery acquired by Lion Little World Beverages. Comparable to Anchor as a craft pioneer with strong brand identity, acquired by a larger strategic player for portfolio diversification.
- Stone Brewing: San Diego-based craft brewery with national distribution and taprooms. Comparable to Anchor as an established craft brand with taproom experience and West Coast heritage positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams): Largest American-owned craft brewer, producer of Samuel Adams. Comparable to Anchor as a flagship heritage American craft brand at national scale, though significantly larger and more diversified.
- Sapporo USA: Former owner of Anchor Brewing and US arm of Sapporo Holdings. Directly comparable as the strategic acquirer context — relevant peer for understanding Anchor's prior commercial trajectory under Sapporo.
Regional players
- Trumer Pils: Berkeley, California-based brewery producing traditional German-style pilsner. Comparable to Anchor as a Bay Area craft/traditional brewery with regional focus and on-premise presence.
Others
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee company acquired by Chobani in 2023. Comparable as a sibling Chobani portfolio brand with DTC focus, premium positioning, and similar revival/scale-up narrative.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Anchor Brewing social profiles
Digital presenceAnchor Brewing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Anchor Brewing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Anchor Brewing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Anchor Brewing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Anchor Brewing
What does Anchor Brewing do?
Anchor Brewing is a historic San Francisco craft brewery founded in 1896 that produces and sells beer, including its flagship Anchor Steam and Old Foghorn brands. The company sells its products directly to consumers through the Anchor Public Taps taproom and an online ordering service that is currently limited to fulfillment in the San Francisco area. The brewery is in a reopening phase after nearly three years of closure under new ownership by Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya.
Is Anchor Brewing a public or private company?
Anchor Brewing is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Anchor Brewing founded?
Anchor Brewing was founded in 1896. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Anchor Brewing based?
Anchor Brewing is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Anchor Brewing make money?
One revenue line is on record: beer Sales (Direct-to-Consumer).
Who are Anchor Brewing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 21st Amendment Brewery, Russian River Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Lagunitas Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing and Stone Brewing. Broad incumbents are Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) and Sapporo USA. Trumer Pils is listed as a regional player. La Colombe Coffee Roasters is listed as an others.
Does Anchor Brewing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Anchor Brewing.
What industry is Anchor Brewing in?
Anchor Brewing's product category is Craft Beer Brewing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAA, Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing, with a secondary code of THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2080.