Chain newspaper surveys "Big changes coming to Big Four Burgers + Beer."

It's worth remembering that when Matt McMahan launched Big Four Burgers, the former South Side Inn footprint was an unusable wreck. Matt invested in the renovation, installed a restaurant (then expanded it), acquired the necessary permits and paperwork, and created value where there was little of it to be found.

Now Matt has sold this platform to Andrew Cox, who'll invest his own money, time and experience toward reshaping and enhancing it. New capital, new blood and new ideas; this is a classic process. Let's hope it leads to great things -- and not forget that it was Matt who got this ball rolling.

Big changes coming to Big Four Burgers + Beer, by Erin Walden (A Multiplicity of Mays)

Big Four Burgers + Beer will close Nov. 9 and reopen the 18th with a new look and a (mostly) new menu.

 ... At both locations, 114 E. Main St. in New Albany and 134 Spring St. in Jeffersonville, Cox is opening Big Four Brewhouse in the footprint of Big Four Burgers + Beers and Cox’s Hot Chicken in the footprint of District 22.

“It’ll look like a completely different place,” Cox said of the New Albany location. There, the interior decor will go from exposed wood and corrugated metal to a red-and-white paint job, iconic athletic jerseys will adorn the walls and a large graphic of the New Albany High School basketball court will be on display.

The Bicentennial Park Summer Concert begins with the Billy Goat Strut Revue.

The Billy Goat Strut Revue was the season-opening act at the Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series last night. Judging from beer sales alone, last night would have been the second best volume night in 2013, so that's a good sign. Later, I checked on the Big Four Burger trailer at Bank Street Brewhouse. Matt said it was an encouraging start.

It's opening night for the 2014 Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series.

The set-up should be somewhat the same as last year.

Local NABC beer, diverse live music headline New Albany’s summer concert series.

Meanwhile, we'll be doing a food collab just down the street at home base.

"Big Four Burgers joins forces with NABC for Friday evening food at Bank Street Brewhouse."

Does anyone know of a good source for cheap body condoms? It's what we expect to be ordered to wear by the Floyd County Health Department when it next spins the wheel of random enforcement.

"Big Four Burgers joins forces with NABC for Friday evening food at Bank Street Brewhouse."

It is the first of what I hope will be many ways that we can partner with local food purveyors, pairing our beers with their culinary expertise. Throw in some advocacy, music, board games, art, lectures, brewery tours, politics and an ordinary sunny day with a pint and cigar in Lloyd's Landing, and our decision to shutter the kitchen will make more sense.

Big Four Burgers joins forces with NABC for Friday evening food at Bank Street Brewhouse

Beginning on Friday, May 30, Big Four Burgers will have its new mobile burger trailer parked outside Bank Street Brewhouse on the very same Fridays as the concert series. Burger hours will be from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., allowing music lovers to have a Big Four burger and NABC progressive pint before or after the musical performances just down the street.

Marty Rosen praises Big Four Burgers + Beer.

I'm enthused that Matt (Irish Exit) McMahan's new establishment in Jeffersonville is doing well and garnering positive reviews. May it live long and prosper.

I'm equally amazed that there seems to be no sense urgency in New Albany as to the momentum currently being squandered.

Restaurant Review | Big Four Burgers + Beer bridges well-composed sandwiches, friendly service, by Marty Rosen (CJ)

Right now it’s still a “bridge to nowhere,” but the Big Four Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge has already netted some 600,000 visitors. Once the Jeffersonville ramp is finished, the bridge may well be as crowded as Spaghetti Junction at rush hour.

And downtown Jeffersonville — which boasts a superb walkable residential waterfront — is gearing up to meet the appetites of all those hungry strollers. There are plenty of established eateries in easy proximity to the ramp (including the Come Back Inn, Adrienne & Co. Bakery & Cafe and the venerable Schimpff’s Confectionery).

Big Four + Big Four = Evidence ... of a plan in Jeffersonville.

Best wishes to Matt (Irish Exit) McMahan on the opening of Big Four Burgers + Beer in Jeffersonville. I know this is a big project for Matt, and as the newspaper headline indicates, his restaurant is the first of several "centered around Big Four Bridge."

Let's hope that the city of New Albany's economic development director is reading.

Previously we've noted the importance of the potential importance of the Big Four's pedestrian and bicycle access for Jeffersonville, which has always seemed to lack redevelopment focus. The bridge provides this focus, which places a rather considerable spotlight directly on revitalization-through-walkability issues -- and to the city's credit, the opportunity is being grabbed with both hands.

That's the first red flag waving in New Albany's general, plan-less direction.

Others are revealed in excerpts below. I've asked before: What is New Albany doing to incentivize investment downtown?

Anyone? Bueller?

Note two things Jeffersonville does that New Albany does not: Forgivable loans, and 10K facade grants ... although, in fairness, once we were prepared to give away a multi-million dollar parking garage. Just imagine if money like that were put to use as fertilizer for MULTIPLE revtalization projects? It almost makes me wish I could swim.

Burgers + Beer + open in Jeffersonville: First of the restaurants centered around Big Four Bridge opens, by Braden Lammers (Paywall Picayune)

The finishing touches are wrapping up, and at 11 a.m. today the Big Four is set to open.

No, it’s not the pedestrian and bicycle bridge nearby that lends its name to the space, but a restaurant called Big Four Burgers + Beer. Like the aforementioned Big Four Bridge, Big Four Burgers + Beer was behind schedule on its hopeful opening date, but only by two months, not a year behind schedule like the Ohio River span.

And after months of hard work, Matt McMahan, who developed the concept, said he is excited to open the restaurant in historic downtown Jeffersonville because there is nothing else like it in the area.
Additional seating will be available outdoors in the spring with another 40 seats on patios on both the first and second floors of the building. A third level of the 8,000-square-foot space, which was formerly Third Base Tavern, will be reserved for private parties.

To transform the former tavern into a restaurant space with exposed brick, dark hardwood floors and mason jar light fixtures, McMahan said it cost upwards of $100,000. The city of Jeffersonville helped to defer some of those costs as the restaurant received a $50,000 forgivable loan from the Redevelopment Commission and a $10,000 Jeffersonville Main Street facade grant.