One family, two breweries and a historic lumberyard.
Flagstaff’s lumberyard was built in 1890, at San Francisco Street and Phoenix Avenue. The historic J.D. Halstead Lumber Company building, a relic of days gone by, now houses the Lumberyard Brewing Company.
The Founding Story
Evan and Winnie Hanseth acquired the rights to the historic building and entered into an agreement with the city to restore the property before opening the Lumberyard in May 2010.
However, before that, the couple open Beaver Street Brewery in 1994 after Winnie’s parents, Dick and Jean Wilson, read an article about up-and-coming brewpubs. With their encouragement, Evan and Winnie sold their California home, moved to Flagstaff and created the brewery, but they also dreamed of distributing craft beer across Arizona. The Lumberyard, with its high ceilings and large space, made that dream come true.
Top Achievements
Creating Flagstaff’s first brewery, starting the craft beer scene and creating award-winning beer were big achievements. Rehabilitating the Lumberyard building was another. “It is exciting to bring a community gathering place back to the building, just as it was back in the 1890s,” said daughter Kelly Hanseth.
Core Values
“One of our biggest values is empowering our employees. We strive to give them opportunities to grow.”
Other core values include engaging with the community and striving to improve products.
Shifts Impacting the Business
There have been menu changes at both pubs. “At Lumberyard, our original menu did not have a burger, but it is now our largest selling item,” said Kelly.
Beer tastes have changed as well. Railhead Red was their top-selling beer. Then, IPAs had a big push. Recently, lighter beers have made a comeback. “Our top seller at Beaver Street is Lager Del Sol, a Mexican style lager. At Lumberyard, our Backcountry Blonde is the strongest seller.”
Greatest Challenges
The pandemic was a great challenge. “Having to shutter our doors and change our business models overnight was a unique experience. Reopening was such a challenge, trying to gain the public trust in what we were doing and eventually get back to our “new normal” of business.”
Looking Ahead
Daughters Kelly and Korie plan to continue their parents’ legacy, bringing beer and food to Flagstaff and growing their brand throughout Arizona.
The Reason for Long-Term Success
“The number one reason has always been that we have been involved in our businesses,” Kelly said. “Having our employees work alongside ownership every day goes a long way to bringing the group together as a team.” FBN
Lumberyard Brewing Company
5 S. San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-2739
lumberyardbrewingcompany.com
Beaver Street Brewery
11 S. Beaver St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-0079
beaverstreetbrewery.com
