Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazines is an industry resource connecting foodservice operators, equipment and supplies manufacturers and dealers, and facility design consultants.
Issue link: http://fesmag.epubxp.com/i/499977
90 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MAY 2015 C hildren and college students aren't the only people who like to have fun. Adults also want to go out for a good meal and a good time. But fnding a place that can offer both, or sometimes even one, can be a challenge in many municipalities. That's the market need Bar 145 seeks to address. At this gastropub, people with full lives and careers can eat good food (think duck conft disguised as buffalo wings), enjoy a cocktail, listen to live music and even dance the night away. Founded in 2011, Bar 145 traces its roots back to Put- in-Bay, Ohio, a township comprised of a series of islands on Lake Erie, just a few miles from the Canadian border. Put- in-Bay serves as a popular vacation and recreation spot for many in Ohio and beyond — "The Key West of the North," says Jeremy Fitzgerald, Bar 145's cofounder. Fitzgerald grew up in Put-in-Bay, where his family owns restaurants and a hotel. It was in these establishments that he got his start in the hospitality industry, frst bussing tables and washing dishes and eventually serving as general man- ager over all the operations. Creating and franchising a concept had always been a draw for Fitzgerald, however. The idea of developing something new and helping it grow appealed to him so much, in fact, that at age 23 he bought a Subway franchise largely to get a better understanding of how that world worked. Fitzgerald also met his eventual Bar 145 cofounder, George Simon, and corporate chef, Robby Lucas, at Put-in-Bay. The idea for the chain started a few years ago, with Simon and Fitzgerald talking about a place that served gourmet burgers (Simon's idea) in a fun environment (Fitzgerald's). It was then that Lucas entered the conversation. "I explained [to Lucas] that I wanted high-end bar food in a fun, higher-end atmosphere," recalls Fitzgerald. "He said, 'You're talking about a gastropub.' At the time I had no idea what a gastropub was. Basically his vision, my vision and George's vision came up with this concept. Bar 145 is a destination spot where you can get fresh food with local in- gredients [made in] a scratch kitchen. And then you can stick around and watch a fun band at night." "Burgers, Bands and Bourbon" sum up the appeal of this Ohio-based gastropub. By Toby Weber, Contributing Editor chain profle ● ● President and Cofounder: Jeremy Fitzgerald ● ● Vice President and Cofounder: George Simon ● ● Executive Chef: Robby Lucas ● ● General Contractor: Ken Russ ● ● Kitchen Design Consultant: Jef Hussar, Burkett Restaurant Equipment and Supply ● ● Equipment Dealer: Burkett Restaurant Equipment and Supply (Toledo, Ohio) KEY PLAYERS The chain uses exposed metal ductwork to establish an industrial feel, which is balanced out by warmer wood tones in the tables and bar.