Small Business Spotlight: MachineHead Brewing Co. in Clovis

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- With more than 250 beer recipes that rotate across 17 taps, MachineHead Brewing Co. owner Rob Arabian caters to the craft beer enthusiast.

The family-owned and operated brewery located on Palo Alto and Fairfax avenues in Clovis opened in 2020.

"We've always been focused on craft beer, and we've always tried to innovate and push the limits of what we can do because we just love it," Arabian said.

IPAs and sours are the tried and true recipes that first put Machinehead on the map.

Those remain staples, but as tastebuds trend toward pilsners and lagers, the head brewer says he's expanding the offerings.

"We have an Italian pilsner right there and an American light lager in the tank," Arabian said.

The Clovis brewer says innovation and community collaboration are key in keeping their doors open.

In addition to teaming up with California breweries for limited releases, you'll notice special events featuring local food trucks and performers.

"We always want to support local and stick with local groups and organizations so we can get the word out there and awareness out there for both us," Arabian said.

For the first time in almost two decades, the Brewers Association tracked more brewery closures than openings nationwide. The 2024 year in beer shows 335 breweries opened with nearly 400 closing.

Arabian says the state of the economy, the cost of utilities and the cost of goods are contributing factors.

"We're always using the finest ingredients, so we pay a premium above that," he said.

Knowing that also impacts patrons -- prices have stayed the same at Machinehead. Arabian has also introduced short pours at a lower price point.

"We're blue-collar workers, so we're going to the grocery store, seeing the exorbitant price of things, so we know how hard it hurts," he said.

Those brewery collaborations got Machinehead noticed statewide. You'll find Rob and his team doing tap takeovers in Bay Area cities and the Central Coast.

Machinehead is open Wednesdays through Sundays.

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