Big River Breweries
Chattanooga Trolley Barn Changes to Trendy Bistro
Like most successful businesses, Big River Breweries began small. Big River Breweries, Inc is now a multi-concept restaurant company headquartered in its birthplace, Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it began, literally, in a barn.
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The company was founded in 1993 to own and operate an 8,000-square-foot restaurant/brewery in downtown Chattanooga. The company purchased and restored Chattanooga’s turn-of the century trolley barn, a building erected in 1903 to house and maintain trolleys, and later city buses. The structure is listed on the National Historic Registry. The site is located near the Tennessee River and the Tennessee Aquarium (the world’s largest fresh-water aquarium). The Aquarium served as a catalyst for the beginning of Chattanooga’s downtown redevelopment in 1992. |
The Big River site now includes an IMAX theatre, a large Children’s Discovery Museum, and several other restaurants. In 1996, Big River expanded into another bay of the trolley barn, adding 3,500 square feet with billiard tables, a full bar, booths, and wood-fired pizza ovens.
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Since the time of the original opening, the Company has opened restaurants in Nashville’s downtown riverfront ("The District"), Disney’s Boardwalk in Orlando, downtown Greenville, South Carolina, Atlanta (Buckhead) (t/a Rock Bottom Brewery) and downtown Charlotte, NC (t/a Rock Bottom Brewery), and a concept in Chattanooga called "Sing Sing," which combines dueling piano players with all-request music from the 50's to 90's, sing-a-longs, comedy and audience participation. |
The Nashville site, opened in April 1995, is located in the redevelopment waterfront area historically known as "lower Broadway," and uses 13,000 square feet on the first floor of a three-story warehouse.
Disney Calls
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In 1996 Walt Disney Company approached Big River to be its first brewpub at Disney World. Located in the Epcot Resort area, this site features a turn-of-the-century, Eastern seaboard theme. This site does differ from the other Big River projects in that it incorporates contemporary design and modern characters. |
Greenville opened in 1996, located in an old railroad depot. This renovation also had to comply with the National Historic Preservation Society guidelines. Outside, the building looks much as it did before, when it housed Spaghetti Warehouse. Inside, it’s a different world. The bare brick walls are complemented by dark mahogany furniture, dark green decor, colorful booths and photos of historic Greenville. A trolley, prized by Spaghetti Warehouse as its focal point, was donated to the city. "Displaying the kitchen and the brewery was of importance to us," said Rob Gentry, part owner, founder and officially vice president - brewing. Also available to customers are three professional billiard tables and blackjack video games in a game room, 10 TV screens in the bar area, and live entertainment on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
In January of 1998, the Company acquired Ragtime Tavern Seafood & Grill and A1A Ale Works, two well-established brewpubs in Jacksonville (Atlanta Beach) and St. Augustine, Florida, respectively. The Ragtime Tavern is located in Atlantic Beach, Florida. Located across from the ocean, this 7,500-square-foot site is in one of the oldest commercial buildings in Atlantic Beach. Ragtime’s unique menu, inspired by New Orleans’ cuisine, has won numerous awards and been voted the state’s top dining venue for over a decade. Ragtime also features live jazz and blues, anchoring Jacksonville’s popular dining and entertainment district.
A1A Ale Works is located historic St. Augustine, Florida. The restaurant is a two-story 7,000-square-foot historic building with a Key West flair. The restaurant overlooks picturesque Matanzas Bay and the Bridges of Lions. The cuisine combines Caribbean, Cuban, and Floridian influences. The company’s ninth restaurant is due to open any moment now (December 1998) in the "Southside" area of Jacksonville, Florida. This concept will carry the name Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery and is in a 9,000-square-foot new building. The company is also planning another concept to be announced in the near future (watch for it in a future E.S.P. issue). The Company’s restaurants are casual dining that features high-quality, moderately priced food and a distinctive selection of on-premises brewed beers. The praises of this company are many, from their award winning beers and ales (their "Sweet Magnolia Brown" and "Iron Horse Stout" are both gold medal winners), to the cuisine that has won accolades from many publications, to the historically rich, yet casual dining atmosphere, Big River is a promising and welcome venture to many downtown revitalizations.
Big River Breweries recently announced the 100% repurchase of its stock previously held by Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. H. Allen Corey, President and CEO of Big River states that "this transaction provides Big River with additional flexibility and the ability to capitalize on a variety of opportunities." Big River will still operate two existing locations under the name of Rock Bottom Brewery.
In addition to Corey, who was an initial investor and co-founder of the company, and Gentry, who originated the Big River concept, the management team includes: C. Andrew Stockett, vice president and CFO, who previously was a partner in Mid-Atlantic Holdings in Chattanooga; John A. Leonard Jr., vice president of development and construction, who came from Leonard Kinsey and Associates (LKA); Benjamin R. Probasco, vice president of real estate, an initial investor involved in site selection and development since the company’s inception, who also hails from LKA, and from his own firm, Probasco & Company; and Robert Werk, director of operations, who joined the company in 1995 to open Big River’s second unit in Nashville, after more than 16 years in the chain restaurant business.
Big River is planning to expand on a limited nationwide basis. Florida and southern cities are still being sought. The company prefers to lease 15 years with options, and looks for downtown sites that can be restored, but urban re-developement with new construction will also be considered. Strategy also calls for acquisitions of single existing units and multi-unit restaurant/breweries. Management believes that there is substantial opportunity for developing restaurant/breweries positioned in the upper end of the casual dining segment.
The restaurants are large, open and visually stimulating, displaying an array of stainless steel brewing equipment. The restaurants use 8,000 to 13,000 square feet and most contain a wood-finished interior, high ceilings, and warm lighting. The concepts of on-premise brewing, and in certain locations pool tables, outdoor seating and live music create an exciting atmosphere that is appealing as a destination location for lunch, dinner and bar customers.
For more information or to submit sites (mail only), contact Benjamin Probasco, Big River Brewery, 100 East 10th Street, Suite 600, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37402, 1-423-266-9704, fax 423-752-1973.