Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways.
When Steve McFate decided to go into the microbrewery business three years ago, he intended to find a location in Southern Scottsdale to set up shop. But it wasn’t to be. The lack of an available location that was affordable caused him to begin looking elsewhere for a place to launch his new venture.
Steve eventually settled for space on Shea Boulevard just east of Scottsdale Road. He opened Fate Brewing Company in November 2012. It was an instant success. In fact almost from the beginning he sold every ounce of beer he was able to brew in his 2,300-square- foot brewery and restaurant.
Like his brewery, Steve is a homegrown product of Scottsdale. He attended Pueblo Elementary School and graduated from Saguaro High School. Steve also has a degree in business administration from ASU. Steve was a successful mortgage broker whose business was going great guns until 2009 when the economic downturn struck. Steve recalled: “Things got very ugly very fast. The risks of remaining in that business were quickly becoming obvious.”
Even during the most lucrative periods of his career in the mortgage business, Steve had a hobby. For 15 years he had been brewing beer at home. After a while, he found himself not just involved in the art of brewing, but totally immersed in what he called “the craft beer culture.”
While Steve’s dream of starting a successful craft beer business in his hometown came true, he never lost sight of wanting to establish another location in Southern Scottsdale where he grew up.
“Some of my fondest memories were hanging out at Los Arcos Mall,” Steve said. “I remember my parents buying Chevys across the street at Ray Korte Chevrolet. This is where I eventually wanted to open another brewery, because I’m so comfortable around McDowell and Scottsdale Road and these neighborhoods.”
Steve’s year-long quest for an additional location came to fruition earlier this year. He learned that the new landowner of the parcel behind Papago Plaza, once the location of Hometown Buffet, was interested in helping facilitate Steve’s second brewery.
Fate Brewing Company’s new location on the west side of Scottsdale Road just south of McDowell Road is scheduled to open in April 2015.
The new family-friendly brewery and restaurant will be 10,000 square-feet, four times the size of Steve’s Shea Boulevard location, and will include a spacious patio. It will feature Fate’s diverse and award-winning craft beers and a small selection of spirits. There will be root beer and sarsaparilla for kids. There will also be tours for those interested in learning about the intricate brewing process of Fate’s beers.
Scottsdale Gateway Alliance welcomes Fate Brewery. SGA appreciates that Steve reached out to our organization months ago and we were able to work with him to locate his brewery in Southern Scottsdale to help revitalize the McDowell Road Corridor.