Billionaire and founder and CEO of Chobani Yogurt Hamdi Ulukaya has purchased Anchor Brewing, an iconic San Francisco brewery. Anchor Brewing, home of Anchor Steam Beer, was a fixture of the San Francisco community for 127 years until its former owner, Sapporo Brewing, announced its closure last July.
“I have fallen in love with this city, its history, grit and charm. I believe brands born in places like this are incredibly special and must be treasured, respected and loved,” Ulukaya wrote in an Instagram post announcing the acquisition. “I can’t wait to get back to work with Anchor Brewery.” Anchor Brewery’s tap room on DeHaro Street will also be reopening.
Residents and officials alike were thrilled by the news. “It’s not just a beer company, it’s a culture,” former Anchor Brewery employee Blake Dahlstrom told ABC 7. “It sounds like he’s really going to embrace that,” she added, referring to Ulukaya. San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton agreed, saying, “This is big for San Francisco, as you know we’ve had a lot of businesses shut down, Anchor being one of them, so it’s exciting for the city, it’s exciting for District 10.”
Mayor London Breed expressed his gratitude to Ulukaya by writing a post on X, formerly Twitter. “This is not just an investment, in San Francisco,” he wrote. “It’s a recognition of what makes our city truly special, our history, our institutions and our people. Anchor Brewing has always been a beloved part of San Francisco, and thanks to Hamdi Ulukaya it will be a part of San Francisco for years to come.”
Even investors who did not end up outbidding Ulukaya are excited about Anchor Brewery’s reopening. “I consistently said, my objective was to drink Steam and for it to be made in San Francisco and for the employees who want to continue to work there, so it sounds like it’s in good hands with Hamdi, that makes me happy,” said Mike Walsh, who made a bid for the company with his investment partners.
Ulukaya has a history of putting his employees first. He has become a leading voice in the movement to hire refugees and is known for his policies that support employee wellbeing. Former employees like Dahlstrom, who used to supervise the brewery and helped workers unionize, are relieved to see the company pass into his ownership. “I have hope he will follow through with his words and really embrace the community, the beer community, the neighborhood of San Francisco,” said Dahlstrom.
Beer experts are cautiously optimistic about Anchor Brewery’s future. Writer Randy Mosher, whose books about beer have become industry standard, said of Ulukaya, “It’s going to be a difficult challenge but clearly that guy has the marketing chops and created a brand out of nothing.” Beer writer Gail Ann Williams expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “It’s an interesting company because it has been rescued before and Fitz Maytag came in and bought it out of sheer demise. He restored it, so it certainly could happen again.”
