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Brooklyn brewery Niteglow clears California license hurdle for Chinatown taproom

Brooklyn brewery Niteglow clears California license hurdle for Chinatown taproom

Rule Changes Los Angeles, CA local

The Chinatown brewery and cafe opened October 8, 2026, roughly 14 months after the date the company first targeted.

October 8th, 2026: Chinatown brewery and cafe opens

Overview

Updated Oct 25

Niteglow opened its Chinatown brewery and cafe on October 8, 2026, about 14 months after the opening date it first announced. The shop at 843 N. Spring Street pours Dayglow coffee and Niteglow beer from 7 a.m., closing at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and at 10 p.m. the rest of the week.

About a third of the 2,000-square-foot room holds brewing equipment, and the tap list includes guava sours and prickly pear beers. The opening comes as United States craft breweries close faster than they open: 481 shut in 2025 and 300 started, according to Brewers Association figures cited by Hoodline. Tohm Ifergan and his brother Jonathan run both brands, and a second, beer-only Niteglow taproom is planned for Ovation Hollywood.

Why it matters

This opening tests whether one storefront can profitably switch from morning espresso to evening craft beer - a hybrid model that has tripped up many venues.

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Key Indicators

434 days
From target date to opening
Niteglow aimed to open in late July 2025; the Chinatown taproom began service October 8, 2026.
2,000
Square feet inside
Roughly a third of the interior is given to the microbrewery, with a 500-square-foot patio outside.
4%
Drop in U.S. craft output, 2025
Production fell to about 22 million barrels as 481 breweries closed and 300 opened, per the Brewers Association.

Voices

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People Involved

TI
Tohm Ifergan
Owner and founder, Niteglow Beer Company and Dayglow Coffee
Opened the Chinatown brewery and cafe on October 8, 2026; planning a second taproom in Hollywood
 Jonathan Ifergan
Jonathan Ifergan
Co-founder, Niteglow Beer Company and Dayglow Coffee
Runs the Chinatown brewery and cafe with his brother Tohm

Organizations Involved

Niteglow Beer Company
Niteglow Beer Company
Farm brewery and taproom
Open in Chinatown since October 8, 2026; second LA taproom planned for Hollywood

A Brooklyn farm brewery now pouring its beer at a Chinatown shop it shares with Dayglow Coffee.
Dayglow Coffee
Dayglow Coffee
Specialty coffee roaster and cafe chain
Serving coffee at the Chinatown shop it shares with Niteglow, open from 7 a.m.

A specialty coffee brand that shares the Chinatown shop at 843 N. Spring Street with Niteglow's brewery.
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
State licensing agency
Issued the type 23 license

The state agency that licenses beer manufacturers and retailers in California.

Timeline

July 2025 October 2026

3 events Latest: October 8th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago

  1. Chinatown brewery and cafe opens

    Latest Launch

    Niteglow began service at 843 N. Spring Street, serving Dayglow coffee and its own beer daily from 7 a.m.

  2. California ABC license goes active

    Regulatory

    The state activates Niteglow's type 23 small beer manufacturer license for 843 N Spring Street.

  3. Targeted opening passes without a launch

    Milestone

    Niteglow's planned Chinatown opening date came and went as the ABC permitting process continued.

Scenarios

1

Niteglow's Chinatown taproom opens to the public

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: WhatNow Los Angeles; Niteglow Beer Company announcements

The type 23 license is active and the brewery says it is 'almost open', already brewing with California malt and Oregon hops. If remaining local approvals - occupancy, health, and construction sign-offs - move quickly, the taproom could begin service within months.

2

Further delays push the Chinatown opening past early 2027

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Independent brewery observers

The ABC license is only one step. Local occupancy, health, and construction approvals can take months, and the project's earlier slip from July 2025 shows timelines can stretch. Another setback would push the opening to mid-2027 or later.

3

Hollywood taproom opens as planned

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: WhatNow Los Angeles; Ovation Hollywood ownership

Ifergan has planned a second, beer-only Niteglow taproom at Ovation Hollywood for late 2026 or 2027. Success at the Chinatown venue and continued permitting would make the Hollywood opening likely.

4

Niteglow's Hollywood taproom opens at Ovation Hollywood

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: WhatNow Los Angeles; Tohm Ifergan

Ifergan has said a second, beer-only Niteglow taproom is planned for 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, with an espresso menu drawn from Dayglow's drinks. No opening date has been announced, and success at Chinatown is the stated precondition.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2012 to 2017

Starbucks Evenings (2012-2017)

Starbucks began testing beer, wine, and small plates at select US stores in 2012, expanding evening alcohol service to several hundred locations. The goal was to turn coffee shops into evening gathering places.

Then

Starbucks quietly phased out the alcohol experiment by 2017; beer and wine never became a meaningful sales driver.

Now

The move became a reference point for coffee brands trying to add alcohol without changing the physical space or evening staffing.

Why this matters now

Niteglow's Dayglow-by-day, Niteglow-by-night plan at one address is the same dual-format bet, and faces the same question of whether customers come at both hours.

2013 to 2022

Modern Times Beer expansion and bankruptcy (2013-2022)

Modern Times Beer, a fast-growing independent San Diego craft brewer, opened multiple taprooms across California and Portland, adding a Santa Barbara brewery. It grew faster than sales could support.

Then

In 2022 the company filed for bankruptcy, and its brands and locations were sold to new owners.

Now

The collapse became a cautionary tale for independent breweries that expanded floor space before demand was steady.

Why this matters now

Niteglow is opening two Los Angeles taprooms while many independent craft breweries are consolidating; the parallel highlights how taproom expansion can outrun a small brewery's customer base.

2010 to 2020

Brooklyn Brewery's international contract-brewing push (2010s)

Brooklyn Brewery, the borough's best-known craft brand, entered markets in Japan, Europe, and Scandinavia through licensing deals with local brewers rather than building its own plants abroad.

Then

The model let Brooklyn sell in distant cities at low capital cost, but kept production under partner breweries' control.

Now

It became the standard playbook for East Coast craft breweries seeking national or global reach without a second brewery.

Why this matters now

Niteglow is also a Brooklyn brewery entering a far market, Los Angeles, but is doing the opposite: building its own taprooms and contract-brewing locally - a bigger commitment with more upside and risk.

Sources

(6)
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control WhatNow Los Angeles Lever Architecture Structure Magazine Hoodline Niteglow Beer Company