Craft Beer and Island Vibes

On a recent morning in the heart of Fair Oaks Village, the doors to a vacant building stood open, inviting passersby to take a peek. Inside, a backhoe and piles of rubble told one story. But if you listened closely to Derek Clark, you could imagine another: the clink of glasses, the buzz of conversation, and the easy rhythm of what Clark calls “island time.”

That vision—equal parts brewery, restaurant, and gathering place—is taking shape as Palm Tree Brewing Company. It’s Clark’s most ambitious project yet, and in many ways, it’s the culmination of a second act.

A long road back

Clark’s path to brewing wasn’t straightforward. Raised in Hawaii, he served six years in the Air Force before spending more than three decades as a real estate broker in the Sacramento region. In 2010, life took a sharp turn when he was hit by a truck while riding his motorcycle. He spent 16 days in trauma care, and it took him two years to walk normally again.

During his recovery, Clark began thinking differently about time and purpose. He returned to an earlier interest—brewing beer—and began designing a sophisticated home system from scratch. With input from Erik Schmid, owner of Red Bus Brewing Company in Folsom, he produced his first batch of beer for Super Bowl Sunday in 2013 -- and dubbed it Queen Palm Ale.

That home experiment led to the opening of a small brewery in Orangevale, which Clark operated in leased space. He and his wife, Sara Green, whom he met while volunteering at the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank, also purchased The Boardwalk, a longtime live music venue.

Now comes the next chapter, unfolding in the 75-year-old building on the corner of California Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard: a full-scale brewery and gourmet pizza kitchen.

Brewing something bigger

Plans call for an 800-square-foot brewing area on the ground floor, anchored by a 10-barrel system. Clark will begin with eight to ten beers on tap, eventually expanding to 16, along with seltzers, kombucha, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options. Pizzas and other casual fare will round out the offerings, with a walk-up window dispensing takeout orders.

A 350-gallon fish tank and beach-inspired décor will highlight the brewery’s island roots. And atop the space will be something rare for Sacramento’s dining scene: a rooftop patio. “It’s going to be special,” Clark said. “There’s nothing quite like it around here.”

The brewery will also welcome dogs—just not everywhere. A sidewalk seating area will allow canines to join in without compromising the brewing process.

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy, in part because the building is no spring chicken. The original structure was built in 1911 and housed the Fair Oaks Bank. It operated until the Great Depression, and was replaced by Stark’s Pharmacy, which did business there until 1949.

In 1952, the building was torn down. Its replacement hosted a series of banks until the Fair Oaks Irrigation District took ownership in 1959, housing its offices there, along with Vera’s Style Shop. The district sold the building in 1982, and it has mostly operated as a jewelry store since then.

Clark bought the property almost three years ago, and immediately faced a maze of permitting challenges, county hearings, and infrastructure upgrades. Electrical overhauls, water line issues, and other problems have slowed progress.

But now momentum is building. The new concrete floor is about to be poured. Framing and plumbing and wiring and the elevator are coming next. Clark is aiming for a September opening, in time for the village Oktoberfest event—if all goes as planned.

Why here?

For Clark and his wife, choosing Fair Oaks was intentional. Green grew up here, and they both prize what she calls “a sense of community you just don’t find everywhere.” Clark calls the village “a special place. And with the reopening of the park, there’s new energy. You can feel it.”

The brewery’s island vibe will add to the mix, Clark said. Hawaiian “ohana culture” is his guiding philosophy, and it infuses his approach to hospitality: “It’s about taking care of people, making them feel at home.”

For now, future patrons have to settle for peeking through construction fencing. But barring more snafus, it won’t be long before they can enjoy a cold one and a slice on the rooftop, watching the sun set over the village.

When Palm Tree Brewing does open its doors, it won’t just be the debut of a new business. It will be the culmination of a journey shaped by setbacks, reinvention, and a belief that good things—like good beer—are worth the wait.

*Thank you to Chris Highsmith of the Fair Oaks Historical Society for information about the brewery building’s history.

Story by Jenifer Warren