Unlikely Retailers and Restaurants Embrace Quality Beer
Dressing up casual
While the restaurant business overall has been struggling since the recent recession, one segment has been thriving. Fast-casual restaurants—essentially upscale quick-service eateries, a notch above fast food and a step below casual dining—have been expanding around the country, and many of them proudly serve beer, and a nice selection at that. The “vast majority” of Noodles & Company’s 380 locations serve up beer (usually priced between $2.99 and $3.99 per bottle or can), said Dan Fogarty, executive vice president of marketing at the Broomfield, CO-based company. In fact, beginning in its early days in the mid-1990s, the concept partnered with neighbor New Belgium Brewing to offer up items like Fat Tire. That relationship continues today with Noodles team members frequently visiting the Fort Collins brewery to devise food/beer pairings.
Smashburger, another rapidly growing Colorado-based fast-casual chain, has embraced beer and has been actively partnering with brewers in local markets on suggested beer/burger pairing menus. “Twenty years ago, you would order a burger and a beer,” said Tom Ryan, founder of the 260-unit chain. “Today, you can order a spicy Baja burger at Smashburger, paired with a great IPA.”
While most Smashburger locations offer “national backbone” beers like Corona Extra and Newcastle Brown Ale as well as local beers, in at least a dozen markets the concept has teamed up with other brewers on specific beer-and-burger matchups. Brewery partners include New Belgium in Denver, Sixpoint in Brooklyn, Saint Arnold in Houston and Summit in Minneapolis. To come up with the pairings, Ryan—a former executive at McDonald’s and Quiznos who has a Ph.D. in flavor and fragrance chemistry—visits the breweries and works with the brewers to create pairings.
Among the combinations promoted are the Colorado burger (with grilled fresh green chilies) and Ranger IPA, the avocado club burger and St. Arnold Weedwacker, and the chain’s signature “classic Smash,” paired with Deep Ellum Dallas Blonde. Participating restaurants post the suggested pairings and tasting notes on menu boards and table cards.
At least one fast-casual chain now offers draft beer at some of its locations to supplement its already solid packaged beer options. The Atlanta area’s Fresh To Order concept sells draft beer at three venues, reports Jesse Gideon, COO of the 12-unit purveyor, which specializes in fresh salads and sandwiches.
The recently opened Nashville location, meanwhile, will soon feature self-serve drafts, Gideon says. Already, Fresh To Order’s beer menu includes products from Abita, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, SweetWater and Terrapin, with an emphasis on seasonal or limited-releases (typically priced at $3.50 to $5 per bottle). Just like an increasing number of retailers, the restaurant executive believes that fast-service eateries shouldn’t be presumed to carry sub-par beverage choices. “You don’t have to go to a serious beer place to get a serious beer,” Gideon says. “Sometimes you can find a surprising beer selection with ridiculous prices at unsuspecting spots.”
Beer enthusiasts welcome the growing opportunity to find interesting beer options at their corner convenience stores and local hamburger joints. According to Smashburger’s Ryan, when guests see the selection of beers available, “the lights go on. They no longer see their visit as a generic occasion.” And while he acknowledges that the chain’s commitment to better beer helps differentiate Smashburger from its competitors, Ryan notes that his company is also educating guests on pairing and enjoying food and beer. Says the business man, “We’re pleased to be able to move food and beer culture forward.”
This story appears in the September issue of All About Beer Magazine. Click here for a free trial of our next issue.
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