From Chatlist #2890 –
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:17:17 -0500
From: meg_miller…bellsouth.net
Subject: Give the Brewery a break already
As a Chathamite and long time chatlist member, I am embarrassed to read the whining complaints about the Carolina Brewery.
I hope that the two of you also took the time to complain to the manager or owner. If you had, I’m sure your meal would have been comped and they would continue to work on fixing the problems.
Every new restaurant has issues, and unlike a chain store that can rely on corporate trainers to come in and make it all right, the Brewery has to rely on a young, newly trained staff. I don’t understand how someone with restaurant experience can expect things to run perfectly the first week a place is open. I’ve done it several times, I know the stress, the endless hours and the staffing issues that comes along with the food service territory.
Decide not to come back, that’s your perrogative, but I wish you would take your comments where they can do some good and don’t try to jade these readers. There is nothing like the Brewery in all of Chatham, and I’ll take it, good and bad, over some cookie cutter Applebee’s any day.
Local ART on the wall, local involvements already. LOCAL owners. Give me a break. Better yet, give them a break.
I think some of your comments were downright rude and unnecessary.
Keep trying Carolina Brewery…and when you get it right, and you will, these folks can eat crow.
Meg
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:23:14 -0400
From: “allen baddour” allenbaddour…gmail.com
Subject: Carolina Brewery
Just thought I’d send an email in support of the Carolina Brewery. In the interest of full disclosure, I am friends with the owners.
But see, that is part of the point I’ll make.
Pittsboro has long needed a fun casual place to eat with the family, or enjoy a game on TV and a beer with friends.
Its possible that this need could have been satisfied, in a sense of the word, with an Applebee’s. It is my opinion that a local establishment, with a local owner, is a much better option. Why? A local owner can be more responsive to Pittsboro’s needs. A local owner will be in the restaurant himself/herself, and won’t have to send proposed changes to out-of-state corporate headquarters for a 6 month corporate review.
So while we may lose a little McDonald’s-type, cookie cutter consistency in the first month of business, I believe the long-term gain is significantly better: locally (on-site!) produced beer, the chance for locally-produced food (not sure if this is being done now, but it could be), local art on the walls, and a local response to issues we all have with our local restaurants. Talk about walking the walk on going green: the miles on that beer is ZERO. They’ve talked about wanting to find a local farmer willing to grow hops. That’s sustainable and local.
So relax, enjoy yourself, and let the place grow up with us all. Give em a little slack. Let them mature. Go in with an open mind, and the sense that you are doing your small part to help them become a local landmark. Feel free to offer them constructive criticism and compliments.
And look for me there on occasion, for dinner or a beer, with family or friends, and with a smile on my face, looking supremely content at not having to drive out of town for the experience.
Best,
Allen Baddour
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:48:06 -0400
From: “Elliot M. Cramer” Cramer…email.unc.edu
Subject: carolina brewery
I passed on a few comments and got this reply
We are aware of the comments and are working on the ones we agree are valid.
Thanks,
Robert
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:35:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kainen Gibson kainengibson…yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Carolina Brewery
The poster who said they were hoping for a fine dining experience at the Carolina Brewery probably shouldn’t go to a brewery for dinner! I can’t believe that I used fine dining and brewery in the same sentence!!! It seems to me that people are just looking for things to complain about. Lighten up people and enjoy Carolina Brewery for what it is, not what you want it be.
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:54:06 -0400
From: “Ray Kelley” yellek8981…hotmail.com
Subject: Brewery
We’ve been there twice….enjoyed it….good food….good service…..it is what it is….. a BREWERY/Sports Bar/Hang Out…maybe even a favorite local “place” one day!!! If you want something else in Pittsboro you can go to……um I’ll get back to you.
Aurora and Mary….save us a seat!!!
Ray & Melissa