Fresno loves it’s beer and it’s breweries. We love Fresno’s beer and it’s breweries. We wrote about Full Circle Brewing back in April 14th, 2017 and then again on May 4th, 2021, and then there are the countless times we’ve mentioned them in our Hot & Happening events…. but when they had a grand opening of their Full Circle Bistro at their Brewery District Taproom – and we just had to have more.
So we invited Adam, their Marketing Manager in for an interview.
So tell us, who are you, where did you come from, and what do you do?
Arthur Moye is the CEO of Full Circle Brewing, Co. in Fresno, California. Formerly a CalCPA Chapter President, after 15 years of homebrewing, he went rogue and sold his CPA practice to purchase Fresno’s longest running brewery. His experience in finance helped him increase the production of Full Circle Brewing by over 5,000% from 2016-2022, building a distribution network throughout the United States.
Arthur believes that a brand is defined by the vibe that it creates for its consumers, and local community. To enable Full Circle’s broad consumer base to “Catch Their Vibe and Find Their Tribe”, the brand has launched their new Vibes Series, starting with Juicy Vibes and Peachy Vibes.
Additionally, as a black entrepreneur and brewer, Arthur is proud to have Full Circle Brewing, Co. contribute to the 1% of black owned craft breweries in the United States.
Arthur is originally from the Bay Area and is an alumnus of San Jose State University. He has chosen the Central Valley as his home to raise his family and grow and his businesses.
Speaking of business, tell us about Full Circle Brewing
Full Circle Brewing was founded in 2000, making it the longest running Brewery in the central valley. Full Circle has the largest capacity of any brewery in Fresno County, and is also the only Black Owned Brewery in the Valley.
The Full Circle Brewing team is composed of a diverse set of experienced craft beer professionals. Because of this diversity, our brand is built around authenticity and inclusion. We understand that in a crowded marketplace, high-quality beer only gets you so far. Yes, we produce premium craft beers, the liquid. We use this liquid as a social lubricant that allows people to be their authentic selves, catch a vibe and connect with their tribe, no matter what that tribe may be. This consumer-first approach has allowed us to expand our footprint in national chain accounts, getting our visually appealing products in front of more consumers. Our competitive pricing, balanced approachable beer, and seasonal flavors are appealing to the craft beer-drinker and craft curious alike.
Arthur Moye was a CPA before selling his accounting practice to follow his passion for brewing by acquiring Full Circle Brewing Co in 2016, in doing so he became one of the few majority Black-owned Production breweries in the US. Full Circle Brewing is one of Central California’s longest-running breweries, and has evolved into selling beer in every major market in California and markets across the US. You can find our beer in major retailers such as Safeway, Savemart, Costco, Trader Joes, and more. Now known for our fruit-forward flavors and balanced quality beer, we appeal to everyone, from craft-beer lovers to people who don’t even typically like beer.
And what is it about Full Circle Brewing that makes you stand out?
We are a Black Owned Brewery, representing less than 1% of all breweries in the U.S! We are constantly working to tear down the barriers to entry for Black Brewers to go commercial. One of the biggest barriers to entry is access to capital. We are working to spread the word about Crowd Equity funding to other Black Breweries, giving them a tool to raise capital without the generational wealth that so often funds projects in the brewing industry. We currently have a crowd equity campaign going ourselves at
https://www.startengine.com/offering/fullcirclebrewing-cf-2
Trends in the craft beer industry are showing that consumer demand is moving towards lighter, more crushable beers. Our answer to this call is our brand new Vibes Series, focusing on lighter beers, while maintaining the fruit forward approach that consumers have come to love from Full Circle. We have kicked off the series with Peachy Vibes, our Peach Wheat Ale, and Juicy Vibes, our Hazy Pale ale Brewed with Citrus, already receiving mandates and authorizations in chains including Savemart, Bevmo, Totalwine, and Costco.
What is it that most people DON’T know about your Full Circle Brewing?
Members of our community can own a piece of Full Circle! There is no better time to join the Full Circle Family, and own a piece of a Black Owned Brewery, than during Black History Month. Through our StartEngine campaign, members of our community can invest in Full Circle and own shares of the company. After our last raise on StartEngine, we were able to DOUBLE our daily production capacity, expand into 10 new states as far east as New Jersey, and have national scale partnerships with organizations like the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce.
Anything interesting coming up?
Full Circle Brewing and Sonoma Cider are excited to partner with ByBlack, powered by U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) to release a beer and cider under its Sonoma Cider brand in celebration of Black History Month.
The partnership hopes to increase the visibility of Black-owned breweries and address the under-representation of Blacks in the craft beer and cider industry, which is less than 1% Black-owned.
The new brew and cider will be available February 1st at Full Circle Brewing in Fresno, CA and at national retailers Costco, Safeway, Raleys, Bevmo, and TotalWine. You can also purchase online at www.fullcirclebrewingco.com. The ByBlack x Full Circle Brewing Black History Month special edition will be named Juicy Vibes Hazy Pale Ale and The Sickle Pineapple Cider.
“Our goal is not only to support our community but also spread awareness about Black businesses and how we can build together through collaboration,” said Alicea Gay, VP of External Affairs at ByBlack. “We are excited about this partnership and look forward to seeing what else comes from it.”
This marks the third year of special releases from Full Circle celebrating Black History Month, and the most exciting partnership yet with ByBlack and USBC, two premier organizations helping to promote the growth and economic agenda for Black-Owned businesses throughout the nation.
Full Circle Brewing Co. CEO Arthur Moye explains “This partnership is about charting a path for success for other minority owned breweries who have historically been underrepresented, representing less than 1% of the nearly 9,000 breweries in the country. We strongly believe representation matters and are proud to be officially certified as a ByBlack Black-owned business.”
Of the 1% of Black Owned Breweries many are small and local, few are able to make the jump to full scale production breweries servicing Big Box Retailers. This gap is due to historical issues of Access to Capital in the Black Community. Full Circle Brewing Co. and Sonoma Cider have bridged that gap by leveraging Crowd Equity, and encouraging others to follow suit. https://www.startengine.com/offering/fullcirclebrewing-cf-2
This collaborative beer marks a milestone for Fresno’s longest running brewery in their mission to spread the spirit of authenticity by building a network of real people with positive vibes and positive tribes that push away the negativity that too frequently guides people in this world.
This release marks the start of more innovative collaborations celebrating Black breweries planned for 2023 from Full Circle Brewing.
FIND FULL CIRCLE BREWING COMPANY
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FullCircleBrewingCo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullcirclebrewingco
Website: https://www.fullcirclebrewing.com/
Phone: (559) 579-7661
Address: 712 Fulton St. Fresno, California 93721