Full Circle Brewing Co. in Fresno Has New Owners, New Energy

Full Circle Brewing Co. is a longtime business in downtown Fresno’s Chinatown that now has new owners and a new energy.

Arthur Moye moved to Fresno from San Jose ten years ago. He’s a Certified Public Accountant, but like many interesting people, he had a hobby he was passionate about — home brewing. When he first moved to Fresno, he decided to check into the local craft beer scene and visited Full Circle, never imagining he’d sell his accounting firm to his partner in order to own and operate the place.

When Full Circle’s former owners put the craft beer business and property up for sale, Arthur and several other downtown enthusiasts decided to invest together. Arthur was already engaged in downtown revitalization having moved his firm downtown, getting involved with Fresno’s Leading Young Professionals and joining the board of the Downtown Fresno Foundation. Arthur and his new partners could see the changes happening in downtown and wanted to be an integral part of revitalization.

Full Circle is focused on making great beer and creating a fun environment through entertainment and events. They started by hiring experienced local brew master Mike Sumaya, and have upgraded their equipment and are dramatically expanding their production capabilities.

Their beers are getting rave reviews, especially the Juicy, a Northeast IPA, and Cluster Fuggle, a cream ale that’s brilliantly clear, light, and crisp – an ale version of an American Lager. These styles are gaining in popularity on the West Coast and Full Circle has been ramping up to keep up with demand.

Full Circle doesn’t have its own kitchen, but they do host food trucks and other local restaurants and catering companies to fill the need. So far, every one of them has been a hit and they seem to specialize in the authentic, whether it’s tacos or barbecue.

One of the really fun and unusual aspects of the Full Circle facility is that they have their own permanent roller derby track. That’s right, they practice, and have matches and tournaments on the Slab. Having watched roller derby at my grandmother’s house many decades ago, it was a treat to watch families and fans cheering for their teams. It’s really something to see. I know some of the ladies who play and they love it. They also have live concerts in the side yard and have hosted a few craft and vendor fairs.

Full Circle’s beers are starting to pop up around town, which is happening even faster than the owners dreamed. You can currently find their beers at: Rocket Dog, House of Juju, Craft Beer Wine Bistro, Cigar Mas Fino, Pita Kebab Gastropub-Downtown Visalia, and they even made it into the Fresno Airport!

Brew U: Craft Beer 101

Recently, Fresno State’s Continuing and Global Education launched a downtown Fresno campus inside of Bitwise South Stadium, and they’ve announced a Craft Beer 101 class that will eventually become a multi-class certificate program. The folks from Full Circle will be teaching the course in the Bitwise classroom and at the brewery. The first class was announced at the Downtown Fresno Partnership’s State of Downtown event and was completely sold out within days! (Learn more about Brew U in this video.)

When you head to Chinatown to check out Full Circle Brewing Co., I’d recommend you also visit Central Fish Company and Chef Paul’s Cafe while you’re there. Central Fish Company is a restaurant, an Asian grocery store, and a fish market (the fish at your favorite sushi restaurant comes from Central Fish). And Chef Paul is a Fresno legend whose food will make your soul feel good.

Visit Full Circle Brewing Co.

Hours: Wednesday through Friday: 4:00-11:00 p.m.
Saturday noon to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon to 6:00 p.m.

Location: 620 F Street, Fresno, CA 93706

Follow Full Circle on Facebook, Twitter, and on their website.