New 'neighborhood brewery' opening in Clovis

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- The owners of a new Clovis brewery are finally set to open this weekend after the pandemic put a snag in their plans.

"Our plan was to launch rodeo weekend and we were slated to be right on time with that schedule. As soon as we got shut down we thought it was going to be a two-week thing.... and we are now at seven or eight months later," says owner Rob Arabian.

Arabian and his wife, a pediatric nurse, are the owners of MachineHead Brewing Co.

It was a cozy concept that had been brewing in their minds for the better part of a decade before deciding to make it a reality in 2020.

"We are the first neighborhood brewery in the Central Valley. And we're off the bike trail, bike trail 13. We get a lot of joggers and bikers. We even have a bike rack here for everybody," he says.

You won't find any big screen TVs or even WiFi here but guests will experience a beautifully designed 6,000-square foot facility that opens up to a large beer garden.

"We're all about everybody just reconnecting, come on in unplug and reconnect with people," says Arabian.

The couple has poured their heart and soul into the brewery.

Everything from the bar top to the subway tile to the overall design was all done by them.

"I think it was more difficult with my wife and I seeing if we were on the same page. She had a certain vision, I had a certain vision and then after awhile it just melded into the same vision," he says.

Despite a number of setbacks brought on by the pandemic, Arabian is looking forward to Saturday's grand opening.

Guests will find a number of unique beers, including a blueberry sour and hazy IPA as well as multiple food trucks.