Due to New Brunswick’s indoor dining restrictions, BrewBakers restaurant has been closed since January 2021. Now the restaurant’s new owners want to restore it to its casual fine dining roots.
“We’re going to do some renovations to the interior. We’re just going to refresh it and we’re also going to make the best use of this patio, which is going to be beautiful in the summertime,” said Brian Macdonald, one of BrewBakers’ owners.
“As more people get vaccinated and people become more comfortable going back out, what we need to do is tell them, yes, they had a great year of cooking at home, but they can go back out again,” added Doug Williams another owner.
The new owners say that to revitalize the brand, the new specialty on the menu will be food and wine pairings curated by sommelier Williams.
“Appetizers will all be probably between $12 and $18, main courses will be between $25 and $40. That classical presentation with New Brunswick ingredients, our own twist on the great foods of the world,” Williams said.
“We’re also concentrating on making sure the craft beer menu reflects what the trends in the market are and reflects the great craft beer in the Atlantic region,” said Lloyd Chambers, another owner.
The restaurant industry has been the hardest hit during this pandemic. According to Restaurants Canada, at the height of the pandemic, an estimated 800,000 jobs were lost or had hours reduced to zero.
All of the previous staff are returning and the trio of owners is also creating new jobs in the community as they need staff for the front and back of the house.
“I look for a good attitude because you can train anybody to cook. You can’t train anybody to have a good attitude,” said Jay Rosado, executive chef.
Although Restaurants Canada has reported that 10,000 restaurants across the nation have closed since March 2020 due to the effects of COVID-19, the owners are optimistic they will see a surge in business.
“We’re looking forward to giving people a new invigorated experience here based on food and wine,” Macdonald said.
BrewBakers is set to reopen in late April 2021.