Mark and George hope to get the legal sign off on the equipment and begin brewing within a few short weeks. Once the beer is going, opening day will be but two weeks away. For now, the target opening date is somewhere between Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, bureaucracy permitting. An 8-tap direct draw system is in place behind the bar, and Mark plans on opening with a full roster. His inaugural offerings will include the flagship duo of Ninja Chicken American Pale Ale and Muscovado Stout, the latter being named for the unrefined brown sugar with which it’s brewed. Also on tap will be an amber, a session brown, a cherry ale, and an IPA. Within a few months of opening, they want to install a 24-tap indirect draw system, on which Mark plans on having up to 18 rotating taps. Some of those rotating taps will surely include one of Mark’s “cream porters”, his answer to the ubiquitous cream ale. These will be made with various ice cream flavors, as a hat tip to the old ice cream parlor that was once housed in their building.
The 14-seat bar was built primarily by George, who is writing a book about the process of opening a brewpub. He’s learned (and suffered) a lot in a few short months, he says, but it’s been worth it. Their total investment to date in Falling Down Beer Company is several digits north of $100,000, but with the opening in sight, the return on investment can soon (and finally!) begin. The total occupancy will be 99, and to handle getting the beer and food to the patrons, they’ll presently be hiring two cooks, six servers/bartenders, and a head bartender. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you’re qualified and interested in gainful employment.
FDBC will offer a full menu, designed from scratch by Mark and George. There will be burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, corned beef, and fish & chips, along with appetizers including onion rings, deep-fried pickles, and (yes!) deep-fried Snickers. Vegetarian offerings will be available as well. For the fried comestibles, Mark wants to develop a beer batter based on the flagship Ninja Chicken beer, which sounds obvious and tasty to this author.
Their POS system is cloud-based and will allow the staff to enter orders on iPads. Free wi-fi will be available, and there’s a really nice touch for the Technorati: power outlets are present every few feet on the front of the bar. Review the FDBC beers on your blog, manage your fantasy football team, or play Words with Farmville without ever running out of battery power!
Falling Down will be open Tuesday-Thursday: 3-11, Friday-Saturday: 3-12, and Sunday: 3-11. They’ll be closed on Mondays for uninterrupted brewing, though Mark plans to get in at least a little brewing every day.
It’s close, folks. And soon there will be beer. Stay tuned for the official announcement of opening day (or rather, night) at Falling Down Beer Company!
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