If you’re a frequent patron of The Brewery on Baxter Avenue, you might have noticed that it closed down for a couple of days at the beginning of April, and then opened the doors with a new menu and a new lease on life. What you may not know, however, is why - the restaurant has changed owners, and is now being re-invigorated by Louisville Eats Good, LLC (L.E.G.). They are a group of four restaurateurs who have over 125 collective years in the industry, and they’re tackling Louisville’s troubled hot-spot eateries one-by-one, starting with The Brewery.
The Brewery has had a number of owners, names, and themes throughout the years, but one thing was true as of late - the business was stagnant, and there wasn’t anything exciting going on to attract new and returning customers. That kind of lull in business can spell death for a restaurant, which is where L.E.G. comes in - they plan to invest in Louisville restaurants that meet one of three criteria:
Failing, but locally established locations and/or names
Restaurants with owners who are ready to retire, but don’t have future plans for their restaurants
Restaurants in crisis
They also retain all the existing staff, along with supplementing them (in the case of The Brewery going from 9 to 27 in the course of two days) as needed. By rescuing failing restaurants, they are able to keep the locations open, unique and local. “By doing this,” partner Brian Flowers told me, “we’re able to keep and create jobs, and of course maintain the local vibe,” which we all know Louisville definitely has.
The new menu at The Brewery is very deep, boasting a number of amazing and unique lunch and dinner specials. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, as one of L.E.G.’s partners is former Jack Fry’s Executive Chef Shawn Ward. He’s heading up the kitchen at The Brewery while they revamp, and plans on handing it off once they move on to their next project.
They also have remodeling plans for The Brewery - Flowers isn’t content with its current state - “it’s more bar than restaurant right now, and we want to switch those two around,” he said. They don’t plan on removing anything from the beautiful, historic bar area. Rather, they plan to change the decor and ambiance from one of kitschy Americana to a more upscale lounge and restaurant - think more couches, booths and unique areas of the restaurant with different balances of each.
L.E.G. isn’t stopping there - they have other plans and are already working on acquiring their next couple of restaurants. Things are looking up at The Brewery - an amazing new menu, modernizing renovations, an improved and expanded tap system for the bar, and other plans to bring it back to prominence on Baxter Avenue. Check them out for hours and the new menu. Better yet, stop on in and support the noble goal of maintaining local and unique restaurants in Louisville - the more the merrier.
Photo courtesy of Chris David. Cover Photo courtesy of the Brewery's Facebook Page.
