The Brewery.....In a word.....W O W

Ladies and gentlemen, foodies of all walks, we have a new place to check out and haunt! The Brewery on Baxter (yes, the one at the corner of Lexington Road) is under new ownership, management and is in the process of an epic transformation.

Having heard some good things buzzing about town, Gayle DeM. and I made reservations to go to their Oaks Evening set course dinner which was spot-on perfection. Chef/Partner Shaun Ward is going for, and achieving a gastro-pub concept that is incredible.

I've subsequently been back 3 more times, both solo and with others, and the reviews are increasingly positive. The food is really a great mix of fun burgers (they have a François Burger that is a meat blend on a brioche bun, and is divine), to fish and chips (chef Alan raved about this while cleaning his plate), to fun specials (I had a perfectly executed scallop special on Thursday evening that was drool-worthy). Additionally, they have a tempura asparagus "appetizer" on the menu, that with a bowl of soup will be a nice mean by itself. And yes, one of the other's in the venture is Dean Corbitt, and you can see his hand in some of the dishes, such as the Caesar Salad (neatly rolled and presented on a plate).

Service is not what you expect of a pub. Very professional, informative, helpful, and fun. Brian Flowers (also a partner) is getting some of the best in town to insure that everyone is spoiled when they walk in the door.

Oh, and I almost forgot, they have an incredible deck area!

Now, plans are still evolving. Renovations are slowly taking place. Chef Ward is tweaking the menu. They are planning events (they are hosting a pig roast on Thursday evening that I'm planning on attending that will be all you can eat pork tacos, plus from what I hear, a mojito and margarita all you can drink special).

Price point is very reasonable (my burger and a soft drink for dinner, with tip, was $19).

Put The Brewery on your rotation. I've added it to mine, and don't regret it in the least. Great Food. Fun people. I can guarantee you'll be back once you go!

Glad to hear that spot is coming back. It was never a culinary destination for me, however.

Price point is very reasonable (my burger and a soft drink for dinner, with tip, was $19).

That's what, $12 or 13 for the burger? That's not what I'd call "very reasonable." Acceptable, at best.

Price point is very reasonable (my burger and a soft drink for dinner, with tip, was $19).

That's what, $12 or 13 for the burger? That's not what I'd call "very reasonable." Acceptable, at best.

IMHO there isn't a burger in Louisville worth 12 or 13 bucks...least none of the ones I've tried and I've tried a lot of 'em.

IMHO there isn't a burger in Louisville worth 12 or 13 bucks...least none of the ones I've tried and I've tried a lot of 'em.

I agree. Mussel Burger Bar's, at about $9, are about the highest-priced burgers in town that I think are worth the money.

IMHO there isn't a burger in Louisville worth 12 or 13 bucks...least none of the ones I've tried and I've tried a lot of 'em.

I agree. Mussel Burger Bar's, at about $9, are about the highest-priced burgers in town that I think are worth the money.

+1. I certainly agree with you Jeff, MBB has great burgers for that price but higher than that?? To start with I don't think there are burgers better than theirs and secondly places that think the burgers are worth considerably more than that need to get a dose of reality.

Can we talk simple restaurant economics for a second here.

Current ground beef pricing is on average now $3.80/lb http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/APU0000703112
And let's assume they're serving an 8oz burger for simplicities sake.

So we've got a built in cost of $1.90, add a bun $0.25 if it's decent-$0.60 if it's locally made and good, add toppings/cheese we're adding a cost of $0.25-$1+, throw in $0.50 worth of a side. Now we're at $2.90 in food costs for an extremely basic burger with normal ground beef, and up to $4-$5++ dollars for a much better burger, but with the same quality ground beef.

Now a restaurant should maintain a food cost of 25-35% with 35% being on the high end for more fine dining restaurants, that serve more expensive alcohol/wine.

$2.90 at 25% food costs puts that burger at $11.60. As the economy continues to grow we will continue to experience across the board inflation, which means restaurant owners will be forced to raise prices to maintain sustainability or accept their demise.

As foodies I trust that you understand the immense pressure this puts restaurants in and continue to support them.

[Robin Garr]

Can we talk simple restaurant economics for a second here.
[...]
As foodies I trust that you understand the immense pressure this puts restaurants in and continue to support them.

Outstanding analysis, Ryan, and thanks for it.

Many years ago - middle 1980s - I had Vincenzo's create a $100 burger for my bride and me for a feature story. I wish I still had a copy of the article, but it included such niceties as 16 ounces of ground prime rib eye, a slab of foie gras, white truffle, flambee with Louis XIII Cognac, cunning little carved squash baskets for house-made ketchup and Dijon, stuff like that. He also threw in a bottle of Tignanello.

It was definitely worth it.

Ryan-
Where, if at all, does gross profit/item figure into your pricing example? Or, is that unimportant?
Thanks.
BP

This made me curious.

I googled "Best burgers louisville" and pulled the first list I saw, which was Eater Louisville's from last April. For each, I checked the price of the basic beef burger, where possible, though in one or two cases the only burger on the menu was something special like Proof's bison burger.

For the 16 burgers on the list for which I could find prices, they ranged from a low of $6 (Bambi bar) to $16 (Proof, Harvest) with an average of $10.56 and a median of $9.


Bambi Bar $6.00
Bluegrass Burgers $7.89
Mussel & Burger Bar $8.00
Four Pegs $8.00
Game $8.00
Monkey Wrench $8.50
Bristol $8.50
Grind $9.00
Black Rock Grille $9.00
Rye $11.00
Milkwood $12.00
Holy Grale $13.00
Jack Fry's $14.00
Against the Grain $14.00
Proof $16.00
Harvest $16.00

Ryan-
Where, if at all, does gross profit/item figure into your pricing example? Or, is that unimportant?
Thanks.
BP

It's fairly unimportant in that example, as what I'm trying to provide is a simplified version of food costing that the majority of denizens can relate to. But it is something a restauranteur should consider as they take a more in depth look at the restaurants sales on food vs. alcohol as well as their fixed and variable costs. Not to mention your capacity issues and ability to handle sales volume.

This made me curious.

I googled "Best burgers louisville" and pulled the first list I saw, which was Eater Louisville's from last April. For each, I checked the price of the basic beef burger, where possible, though in one or two cases the only burger on the menu was something special like Proof's bison burger.

For the 16 burgers on the list for which I could find prices, they ranged from a low of $6 (Bambi bar) to $16 (Proof, Harvest) with an average of $10.56 and a median of $9.

Nice research, Jeff- Thanks!

When you buy a specialty burger, you are also buying the ( typically expensive) special ingredients like proscuitto, cheeses, housemade buns, local meat, etc, and also the atmosphere. Paying $16 for a burger at Proof is a totally different experience than the Monkey Wrench or the Bristol. Not saying one is better than the other- it's all about what you are looking for and the value it has for you. Personally my faves are Hammerheads, Harvest, and MBB - all over the spectrum- depending on my mood.

Ryan, you used consumer prices during your calculations and restaurants don't pay consumer prices for the foods they buy. The prices they pay are considerably lower by 25% or more. By doing this it moves the pricing model very much in line with what Jeff found to be the price of burgers at most of the local restaurants.

[Robin Garr]

Ryan, you used consumer prices during your calculations and restaurants don't pay consumer prices for the foods they buy. The prices they pay are considerably lower by 25% or more. By doing this it moves the pricing model very much in line with what Jeff found to be the price of burgers at most of the local restaurants.

Umm ... Ryan runs a restaurant, Mark. Soon to be two.

The price for regular ground beef may be $3.80, but places like Grind use local, non-feed lot beef. Grind literally grinds it fresh and uses premium add-ons. I imagine a lot of that places on that list use a better cut of beef and that is why they are good. I do not mind paying more for a good burger, it ain't McDonalds.