Workers have been spotted inside the iconic Anchor Brewing facility, and neighbors are reporting what might be the sweetest scent in San Francisco right now: the unmistakable aroma of beer being made.

For those who need a refresher, Anchor Brewing — one of America's oldest and most storied craft breweries — shut down in 2023 after nearly 130 years of operation, a casualty of declining sales and corporate mismanagement under its parent company, Sapporo. The closure felt like a gut punch to a city that was already reeling from business exodus headlines. Anchor wasn't just a brewery; it was a proof point that San Francisco could still make things.

Then came Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya, who scooped up the brand with promises to bring it back. And now, if the signs are right, those promises are materializing into actual, drinkable reality.

Let's be clear about why this matters beyond nostalgia. Every business that reopens in San Francisco is a small rebuke to the narrative that the city is a lost cause. Every production facility that fires back up means jobs, tax revenue, and economic activity that doesn't depend on a government grant or a nonprofit middleman. Anchor Brewing represents exactly the kind of private-sector revival this city desperately needs — someone with capital and conviction betting on San Francisco with their own money, not yours.

The city's political class loves to talk about "recovery" while approving budgets bloated with programs that produce more reports than results. Meanwhile, the real recovery looks like this: a private buyer, a historic building, workers inside, and the smell of steam ale drifting over Potrero Hill.

No ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Board of Supervisors needed. Just hops, malt, and someone willing to take a risk.

Welcome back, Anchor. San Francisco could use a drink.