It's the business of being in business: Matt McMahan explains the Cox's-to-Boomtown Kitchen story ... then drops the mic.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks in local food and drink circles. 

Cox's Hot Chicken's location in New Albany closed, then it was revealed that the space would become Boomtown Kitchen, a name recalling a short-lived festival.

Seems that every one's an expert when it comes to food and drink on the Internet -- even me.

ON THE AVENUES: Challenges are forever, but downtown New Albany's food and drink purveyors keep on keeping on.

Consequently it's refreshing to have Matt McMahan tell the story, which he did earlier today on Facebook. Whatever one's opinion about Matt (and there are many, as with me) his grasp of dollars and sense in a small business context cannot be denied. Big Four was successful, but the purchasing group couldn't hold it together, so Matt brokered a different outcome.

Zero drama, just the facts. The Boomtown Kitchen idea sounds pleasingly old-school to me: just be a restaurant and please diners. Let's hope it flies high.

Matt has given permission to reprint here.

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Just finally read this article* last night ... it’s funny how the local paper calls and emails me 20 times for an interview acting all nice then when they get what they want they write about negatives instead of positives. The whole time they try to get me to say something bad about someone. That’s all they feed off of. Pretty sad honestly. Here’s what should be said about the whole situation:

We ran Big Four Burgers for 5 years in Jeff and 3 years in NA ... yes, we had some bad service but overall we were successful. The entire time BFB posted quarterly profits. I own the building in Jeff and leased the building in New Albany. I decided to sell both concepts to relieve some stress. A group of guys purchase both stores. I financed the deal to the buyers. When they bought the stores their intentions were to rebrand as Big Four Brewhouse. Several months in they decided to go a different direction. I didn’t like that decision because I believed in our product but that wasn’t my decision. Nor did we have any contract for them to NOT be able to do it. They had different partners between both stores. New Albany store partnership fell apart and the easiest way was for me to step in and take back the store. Their Jeff store is still going strong and doing fine.

I just hate how they say “Three concepts to try out Southside space” as in the other two failed. It’s the American Dream to build a business from NOTHING and sell for a HUGE profit. Which I did. The new owners had a dream and took a HUGE chance and spent a lot of money on their dream. I believe if they had a better working relationship with partners they would still be in business today. With that being said, everything happens for a reason. The Collins are going to absolutely crush it with Boomtown Kitchen ! So #SupportLocal and don’t be a hater!

* New concept to replace Cox's Hot Chicken in New Albany, by Jason Thomas (TomMay Content Coagulator)

LIVE TO EAT: Grand opening for Cox's Hot Chicken today, and good ink for Pints&union's food.

I meant to post earlier than this afternoon about the grand opening, but it slipped through the cracks.

Kindly note the change since earlier reports suggested the name "Big Four" would survive; the owner and namesake chose to identify the entire space as Cox's, with bar areas at both the New Albany and Jeffersonville locations to be branded with the Goodwood Brewing name.

I'm told the Cox's location in Jeffersonville eventually will feature Goodwood Brewing beers brewed on site, but I cannot verify this at present.

Cox’s Hot Chicken is latest in economic boom for downtown New Albany, by Rachael Krause (WAVE-3)

New restaurant in downtown New Albany marks homecoming for businessman

NEW ALBANY, IN (WAVE) - Big Four Burgers is out and Cox’s Hot Chicken is in.

The new restaurant is the latest in a string of recent businesses opening up in New Albany’s downtown.

“We found a niche and we think the area needed it,” Andrew Cox, owner of Cox’s Hot Chicken in New Albany, said.

There’s nothing like it in the community and the trending interest in the downtown area will serve him and his customers well, Cox believes.

Opening this restaurant has been a kind of homecoming for Cox. He’s opened around 50 bars and restaurants around the U.S. over the years, but said he decided to move back home to be closer with family.

“It’s really cool, just to have my family come -- my uncle’s eating lunch right now,” Cox said.

The new restaurant and take-out area will take over the former Big Four Burgers spot on Main Street. It’s the latest in a series of new shops and restaurants opening up downtown ...

Meanwhile Kevin Gibson (writing at Insider Louisville) and his friends enjoyed their meals at Pints&union.

Pints & Union has burst onto the local bar scene with a big buzz, and it has the market cornered on atmosphere with its quirky yet welcoming vibe, replete with antiques, taxidermy, vintage (and sometimes creepy) portraits and a European vibe.

Add to that a robust cocktail program and beer list that explores classic European styles built for the purest of purists, and you’re in pretty good territory. Now add a menu that features pub grub inspired by everything from European cuisine to American classics, and it adds up to, well, deserved buzz.

Big Four Burgers has been sold and is under new management, and District 22 Pizza is no more, soon to become a "hot chicken" outlet.

The Green Mouse was told some months back that Matt McMahan was looking to sell both of his burger restaurants (New Albany and Jeffersonville) as well as District 22 Pizza, which has been attached to the New Albany Big Four for the past year.

The only constant is change. Stay tuned for updates.

Here's an update on District 22 Pizzeria, opening any day now in downtown New Albany.

I ran into Matt McMahan yesterday at the post office, and later he sent these photos of District 22 Pizzeria, his new project, located next to Big Four Burgers + Beer NA.

NOW HIRING!!!! Opening soon!!! Space is ready. Now just need people! Hiring drivers (must be 21 to deliver beer) , counter and cooks!! Apply at Big Four Burgers + Beer NA next door !

It will come as no surprise that staffing is the final hurdle. Simply stated, there isn't a restaurant in metro Louisville that isn't looking for help, and if there it is, it's an exception.

Back in January, we had a look. The Alcohol & Tobacco Commission has mandated a few cosmetic changes to the floor plan, but the overall business model for District 22 remains intact.

District 22 Pizzeria will offer pizza AND beer delivery in New Albany.

Stay tuned for more information.

District 22 Pizzeria will offer pizza AND beer delivery in New Albany.

As displayed in the Indiana Code, Title 7.1 (Alcohol and Tobacco) runs 371 soul-crushing pages. It actually includes a section listing "miscellaneous" prohibitions, which is instructive.

For background, you might spend a morning scrolling through these pages (as I just now did), or take a quick glance at the number of different alcoholic beverage permits available in Indiana. Conversely, you might stab knitting needles into your eyes.

More expansively, an article in the Indianapolis Business Journal ("Thirst rises for liquor licenses in Marion County") offers a glimpse into the potential vagaries of Indiana's ATC permit regime. Permitting might be so much easier, but it isn't. There we are, and if you've decided to be in the business of selling alcoholic beverages in Indiana, you learn, just like with any other heavily regulated field.

Having chatted with Matt McMahan on a couple of occasions about the artful manner in which permits, exceptions, prohibitions and allowances can be linked and layered together to achieve a desired end -- in perfect legality, although at times the Alcohol & Tobacco Commission itself must consult the oracle to determine routes out of the labyrinth -- I can attest to Matt's patience and diligence in taking the time to learn what he might and might not to with the space to the right of Big Four Burgers + Beer NA, which used to be the South Side Inn's carry-out portal.

It is to be called District 22 Pizzeria, and Danielle Grady's piece in the News and Tribune provides the overview (it also mentions progress toward Matt's CIDEways cidery project at the corner of Elm and Pearl).

Market niches like this come with risks and rewards, but to me, Matt's biggest challenge won't be the alcohol delivery service. Rather, it will be creating and positioning the pizza.

There is plenty of space in the Big Four kitchen and a top-quality chef, so the omens are good.

Pizza and beer delivery service coming to New Albany; District 22 Pizzeria to open in March

NEW ALBANY — If you’ve ever been at home watching the game, hungry and craving a beer that isn’t there, but not wanting to leave, Matt McMahan wants to help.

The Southern Indiana entrepreneur’s latest venture is District 22 Pizzeria, a beer and pizza delivery joint slated to open in March. Yep, you’ll be able to get beer (and food) delivered to your home.

The restaurant will be based out of 110 E. Main St. in New Albany — right next to McMahan’s other restaurant, Big Four Burgers + Beer.

Painting and patio-building at Big Four Burgers NA.

When the patio's finished, I'll be back with a brief history of the building, which still is widely known as the place where South Side used to be.

New Albany: "New things where things used to be," or some such.

The monthly downtown merchant meeting is at Big Four Burgers + Beer on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m.

The monthly merchant gathering is tomorrow morning (Tuesday, August 18) at Big Four Burgers + Beer at 114 E. Main Street.

As noted in the past:

"Everyone is invited and as always, we do our best to hold our meetings to no more than one hour.

"These meetings have proven very beneficial and well attended. If you have not attended, please consider doing so ... it's a great way to "stay in the loop," meet your neighbors and be informed.

"We always meet on the 3rd Tuesday morning of every month at 8:30 at a different location.

"Please note on your calendars our 3rd Tuesday meetings at 8:30.

"Thanks so much everyone, see you tomorrow morning!"

Matt sez: Big Four Burgers + Beer NA to open next Wednesday, May 13.

Photo credit: Matt McMahan

At Facebook, Matt McMahan reports that Big Four Burgers + Beer's second location in New Albany will open next Wednesday, May 13.

It's another milestone in the year to date for New Albany's dining scene.

Earth Friends Cafe began operations in Bank Street Brewhouse.

Donum Dei Brewery (Grant Line Road) started brewing beer and serving light meals in March.

Israel's Delicias de Mexico Gourmet opened on Market, near Vincennes.

Habana Blues Tapas Restaurant re-opened at its new location on Pearl Street.

Coqui's Cafe is rehabbing the former Little Chef at Market & Bank, and should be open soon.

The Exchange pub + kitchen on Main and West 1st is building a new patio and outdoor dining area.

Floyd County Brewing Company has a brewer (Josh Hill, late of NABC), and may be up and running by June or July, across the street from The Exchange.

And, as noted previously, the New Albany Restaurant & Bar Association is now a legal entity, and can be found at Facebook.

The New Albany location of Big Four Burgers + Beer is on course for early May.

After and before.

Matt McMahan is looking at early May to inaugurate Big Four Burgers + Beer NA at the venerable site of the South Side Inn, which has been moribund for a very long time. Since reconstruction began, Matt has been documenting the build-out at Big Four's Facebook page, and the transformation is amazing. This building really should house a small designer hotel upstairs, shouldn't it?

Big Four Burgers transforms the ol' South Side.

Big Four Burgers is full steam ahead. Bunches of remodeling photos can be found at Big Four's Fb page, and Kevin Gibson just devoted ink at IL. 

Former site of South Side Inn to reopen as Big Four Burgers in early May, by Kevin Gibson (Insider Louisville)

... Owner Matt McMahan, who last year also opened Charlie Noble’s Eatery & Draught House in Sellersburg, signed a lease on the property last September and has been working feverishly to reimagine the space as a companion to the original Jeffersonville location of Big Four while also paying tribute to the South Side’s heritage.

As stated recently, a food and dining relaunch by New Albany's non-incentivized entrepreneurs is under way.

 Donum Dei Brewery is open for business off Grant Line Road, just behind the El Nopal. Earlier this week, our favorite Mexican chef gave me a tour of Israel's Delicias de Mexico on Market Street, and it's getting closer. He'll be using the entire ground floor, with a small outdoor area to the rear. The Habana Blues move might start at any time, and until then, it's business as usual. Coqui's Cafe ha started freshening up the old Little Chef space. Finally, Earth Friends Cafe is rounding into full weekly hours and a return to the larger menu at Bank Street Brewhouse.

Once Habana Blues leaves its current site on the ground floor of the former New Albany Inn, there'll be remodeling there by owner Matt Chalfant for a future tenant, and the Coyle site developers from Indianapolis will be using their stockpile of graciously waived sewer tap fees to include restaurant space at the historic auto dealership building on Spring -- unless, of course, Dan Coffey needs spare change and engineers a back alley CCE demolition for kickbacks and giggles.

There'll be sitting politicians seeking to take credit for these positive occurrences. When they do, ask them why they continue to kneecap small business development by refusing to move on walkable streets to tie everything together -- you know, like in parts of the world where crane operators and trucking companies don't call all the shots, and mayors aren't scared of their shadows.

Big Four Burgers in the South Side Space on the West Bank.

Just opposite all those boarded-up windows on the furniture corner.

Maybe ... just maybe ... all this recent rehab activity on Main Street will trickle down. As we await the drips, congratulations to Matt, and best of luck to Big Four.

It's official: Big Four Burgers & Beer signs lease on New Albany space, by Caitlin Bowling (Business First)

The second location of Big Four Burgers & Beer will occupy a Southern Indiana landmark.

Owner Matt McMahan signed a lease on the historic South Side Inn, at 114 E. Main St. in New Albany. Though it has been through ownership changes, the inn operated for many years, under different owners, as a cafeteria-style eatery before eventually closing. The inn has been empty for about four years, McMahan said.

“I just really love the South Side building,” McMahan told Business First.