San Mateo’s Fieldwork gives back to the community

“The community accepted us with open arms, and it’s been important to give back,” Braden said.

Last quarter, the company donated $18,000 spread between six different Bay Area organizations ranging from an LGBTQ Center in Oakland to domestic violence services.

General Manager Shauna Satnick said the local philanthropic efforts between the eight Fieldwork brewery sites in the Bay Area give employees from different locations a chance to meet one another and engage as part of a larger community.

The employees at each location collectively decide how they want to donate the company’s allocated funds, Braden said.

“I think it is a fantastic way to involve our employees in the community and for them to see the money stay in the community it serves,” Braden said.

Before opening in 2014, Braden did fieldwork on the Gray Wolf Recovery Program in the Northern Rocky Mountains, hence the breweries name, Fieldwork. He said the work felt empowering and, when he started the company, he wanted to continue his philanthropic efforts.

The San Mateo location opened in 2017 at the front of the SurveyMonkey campus on South Delaware Street. It is a satellite pub, meaning it’s a taproom and not a brewery.

Bartender Alexis Sesma said the culture between employees and the community is something she looks forward to when coming in to work.

“We all work great together and I love it here,” Sesma said.

Investing in the community isn’t the company’s only focus. It is also investing in a pizza oven, to expand its menu. The site doesn’t have a full-scale kitchen but offers a variety of sandwiches and bar food. Satnick said customers have asked for more food and other locations are the Bay Area also have a pizza oven. In the next few months, the site will offer Detroit-style pizza.

“It’s really rich, it’s thick and fluffy, it’s really good and it’s a great shareable dish,” Satnick said.

The menu details still need to be worked out. Satnick said it’s likely that they will offer Margherita, cheese, mushroom and various fun flavors that will complement the wide range of beers the brewery offers. The pizzas will cost around $20. The menu already offers bar snacks such as pretzels, hummus, pub mix, bratwurst and multiple sandwiches that range in price from $5 to $16.

However, most people come for more than just the food. The beer selection and rotating tap are what attract people the most. Satnick said it’s hard to find the same beer twice at the brewery. The menu has around 30 beers in various styles, such as light and lager, sour, Belgian, West Coast IPAs, Northeast IPAs and dark beers. Braden said the selection of beer rotates frequently.

“We rarely brew the same thing twice in a row, every time a guest comes in, there are 20 to 25 beers on tap and there is likely a beer they haven’t tried yet,” Braden said.

Customer Chris Eugenio sat under the trees at the picnic tables with his two friends on a recent Friday. He said he enjoys coming to the brewery because of the ambiance and good beer.

“It is a quiet, open area, it’s away from the city and it’s more mellow. And also, the beer is good,” Eugenio said.