The straight dope from Ian Hall. For timely updates, stay tuned to
Brooklyn and the Butcher on Facebook.
---
BRAND Hospitality Group
Ian Hall, President
Phone: 502.338.2960
ian@exchangeforfood.com
Brooklyn and The Butcher to open next month in Downtown New Albany.
January 5, 2016, New Albany, IN- BRAND Hospitality Group (BHG), owned and operated by Ian and Nikki Hall, is wrapping up the 10 month revitalization project for their new restaurant in downtown New Albany that will be opening this February. Brooklyn and The Butcher, a modern steakhouse, will feature small plates and big steaks.
The rotating small plates menu will have an emphasis on the use of local products and purveyors, as well as fresh seafood and interesting modern cuisine.
On the big steaks side, you will see a wide variety of prime cuts, from a terres major steak frites, flat iron au poivre, 12 oz. bone in tenderloin, and a 32 oz. tomahawk ribeye.
The success of BRAND Hospitality Group's other downtown dining spot, The Exchange pub & kitchen, has become a New Albany destination dining since opening their doors in 2011.
The 5500 sq. ft. space for Brooklyn and The Butcher will offer seating for 125 guests, as well as additional outdoor dining space for another 50 guests in the rear courtyard. Renovations have been underway since May 2015 and the final details are to be completed by the end of this month.
Designed by BRAND Hospitality Group, who worked with local estate developer Matt Chalfant and his team. The 140 year old property has operated mostly as a hotel and restaurant space for the last century.
“It is an iconic property in our historic downtown, and we can't wait to share this project with the community who has supported us over the last 5 years. It's going to be a special space, and so many people already have fond memories of this building and the history that comes along with it. It's a lot to live up to, but we welcome the challenge,” says owner Ian Hall.
BRAND Hospitality culinary team will be led by Head Butcher and Executive Chef Robert Temple, who most recently has served as the Executive Sous for the Cunningham Restaurant Group with Mesh Louisville, and who had also served previously as the Executive Chef at The Exchange pub + kitchen from 2013-2014.
Chef Temple will be joined in the kitchen by Executive Sous Chef, Patrick Carter, who has worked in a similar role at The Exchange over the last two years.
Beverage Director Brian Keeler, who has also been with The Exchange pub + kitchen over the last 4 years, will oversee the cocktail, spirits, beer and wine program.
Rounding out the team will be General Manager Garett Petters, who had grievously worked as the General Manager of Doc Crows Southern Smokehouse as well as currently overseeing the seafood program at Whole Foods Market in Louisville.
Owner Ian Hall says, “I could not be more excited to have this team come together the way that it has. It has been a long process designing and building this restaurant out, and we knew the players that we wanted to bring on board. It was a balancing act trying to piece this puzzle together because all of these guys have great jobs and great futures with their current employers, but we are happy where we ended up at the end of the day.
"Three members of our management team have been associated with The Exchange and that proves to me how we have grown as a team over the last 5 years. If it were not for our current management team at The Exchange this project would not be happening. They have allowed us to pursue this opportunity to create Brooklyn and The Butcher and we couldn't do it without knowing The Exchange is in a good place with our management team. This team all understands one another and what each of them bring to the table, and they realize that each of them are just as important to the restaurant as the other.
"We are going to take the idea of the steakhouse, which many considered stuffy, expensive, white table cloth, fine dining service and flip it on its side, to create this modern idea of the steakhouse. We want the space to be more fine casual restaurant, with the focus having a high emphasis on hospitality
"The restaurant will play on the idea of old vs. the new, from our various cuts of beef, to our detailed bar program, to our interior design. We are going to bring a different dimension to the idea of a steakhouse, and we think our guests will be extremely excited about the space.
"The Exchange has told us a lot about our guests and their dining habits. They are looking for a high quality dining experience, but with the look and feel of the neighborhood restaurant. We want it to be about the food, beverage and hospitality. We are creating this fantastic dining space, that will feature some great elements of a very historic building in downtown New Albany.”
---
About BRAND Hospitality Group: (BHG) was founded by owners Ian and Nikki Hall in 2012 when The Exchange pub & kitchen relocated from it's suburban location and became part of the revitalization that has taken place in downtown New Albany.
Actively involved in the community, BHG and its employees are committed to extending its hospitality beyond the walls of its restaurants. The company supports an array of charitable organizations, along with assisting in the development of the New Albany Restaurant and Bar Association, which helps to assist local restaurateurs and operators with their food and beverage operations.
