Mercado del Barrio getting Mexican-flavored brewery

Mercado del Barrio, the long-dreamed town center for Barrio Logan, is coming into its own.

Five years after the $80 million, three-building project opened at National Avenue and Cesar Chavez Parkway, the mixed-use development of subsidized apartments and retail shops is 96 percent leased.

“The location of it was great,” said Peter Park, vice president and asset manager for Shea Properties, which is responsible for the nonresidential portion of the project. “It just took time to mature and evolve.”

The biggest new tenant and the largest in the main building is Attitude Brewing Company, a new microbrewery concept that will occupy nearly 5,000 square feet at the northwest corner of the site.

It’s the dream of Kurt Bach, 50, who arrived in San Diego from Portland, Ore., in April. His heritage may be Irish-German, but he spent years doing business in Mexico. (His wife is from Mexico and he speaks fluent Spanish.)

“I like Mexico, I like the culture of Mexico, but it’s difficult to do business in Mexico — there’s a lot of red tape and ‘weirdness,’ now a lot of insecurity, so I’m back in the U.S.”

He also worked in Oregon breweries and thinks he can elevate the taste of Mexican-style beers far beyond what’s familiar with popular brands like Dos Equis, Carta Blanca and Tecate.

His lagers, IPAs, stouts and other brews will carry names commensurate with the hip Mexican “actitude” he wants to celebrate, such as “rebellious” and “courageous” — “rebelde” and “valiente” in Spanish.

He is working with a brewmaster familiar with Mexican beer tastes and hopes to source Mexican-grown hops.

The menu will feature wraps made from Peruvian-style tortillas and gourmet burgers with a hot Mexican flare.

If Bach’s Attitude Brewing fulfills his dreams of drawing a big crowd from the neighborhood and beer lovers beyond, Mercado del Barrio could truly become the long-desired lively, commercial center for the community just west of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and historic Chicano Park.

The growing liveliness in Barrio Logan also fits the vibe Bach wants to infuse at his business.

“When you come to my place, there will be no borders, no fronteras,” Bach said. “It’s going to be a place of cultural exchange. It will be a happy place — that’s why it’s called Attitude Brewing Co.

“Everybody there will be bilingual and understand the diverse culture as well. We want to elevate people with our good attitude when they come and eat at our place.”

Scott Kessler, a consultant to the Barrio Logan Association, said the only hesitation locals have about newcomers like Bach is that they may succeed so well that they drive up rents and outcompete existing businesses.

But he intends to hire locals and commission artwork from neighborhood artists.

Twenty years in the making, Mercado del Barrio includes three buildings on a 6.8-acre site, bounded by National Avenue, Cesar Chavez Parkway, Main Street and the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.

Northgate González Market opened in a 36,000-square-foot building in December 2012 on Main Street, becoming the barrio’s first major supermarket.

The 13,500-square-foot retail building on Cesar Chavez Parkway is fully leased with six businesses — Mariscos El Pulpo, Asia Wok, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Sally Beauty, T-Mobile and Tocumbo Ice Cream and Tortas. Special events take place around a decorative fountain in the adjacent plaza.

The main building at National and Cesar Chavez includes 92 fully leased, rent-restricted apartments developed by Chelsea Investment on the upper floors and 34,947-square-foot commercial space on the ground floor.

With the opening of six tenants and two more in negotiation, only 3,365 square feet will be available in three final storefronts out of 84,447 square feet in all three buildings.

Currently, five businesses are open: Iron Fist Tasting Room, Fathom CrossFit, National Laundry, Fade Factory barber shop and Posh & Polished nail lounge.

Besides, Attitude Brewing, the other new tenants are Barrio Bros. Pizza; two Asian restaurants, Pho-Bo and Oi Asian Fusion; Tacqueria Revolucion; the Partners Personnel staffing agency.

Barrio Logan, named for a Civil War general who championed a transcontinental railroad line to terminate in Southern California, still represents a mixture of heavy industry, mom-and-pop businesses and 1,300 homes for 4,200 residents.

Lately it’s attracted an influx of artists, startups and renters looking for affordable homes to buy and new shops, restaurants and brewpubs. Plans are afoot to link the barrio with East Village via a spruced up promenade along 14th Street from City College to National Avenue. The San Diego Community College District also opened the Cesar Chavez Campus for continuing education on Main Street across from the Mercado del Barrio.

roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley