Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company Instagram photo

Tioga-Sequoia Beer Garden was already one of Fresno’s most well-known locations. Now, with the popular beer garden being included in the official Fresno edition of Monopoly, even more people will become exposed to Tioga-Sequoia.

On Nov. 22, Tioga-Sequoia celebrated its participation in the famous board game with a launch party. Tioga-Sequoia’s president Michael Cruz said that they were the first business featured in Fresno Monopoly to sell physical copies of the game and sold over 40 boards during the launch party.

Cruz had been anticipating being selected for Monopoly for months, and they were still excited when they found out they had been chosen. Visit Fresno County, the county’s visitor’s bureau, recommended Tioga-Sequoia.

“[Monopoly] was referred to us by the visitor’s bureau,” Cruz said. “They worked with local entities to kind of see who the icons in the valley are within different segments that they can appeal to and interview for the board, and I believe that’s how we got on their radar.”

Cruz touched on what being a part of the game meant for him and the company.

“They only do one [Fresno Monopoly version], so to be on something, one version of the first and only version of something that memorializes our place in the city. It’s more than just the immediate press that you get off of it,” Cruz said. “It’s something that’s going to be ingrained in a board game that people are familiar with, and they’ll be even more familiar with this local version that appeals to them and brings back memories and experiences.”