Thursday, November 5, 2009

Bar brand expands across Tryon

The unofficial kings of uptown's East Fifth Street are expanding their brand across Tryon Street. Tommy Timmins, Kevin Devin and Maynard Goble – owners of Madison’s, Connolly’s, The Attic and Southend’s Tyber Creek Pub – are branching their successful bar brand into a small-plates restaurant concept.

Dandelion Market is tentatively set to open in early December on West Fifth Street in the old Latorre’s Restaurant site.
 
The name comes from the marketplace by the same name in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1970s, and just as the original Dandelion Market served as a popular meeting place for friends, Timmins says he hopes Charlotte’s version becomes a similar destination.

“Residents and visitors alike need a central meeting place to eat, drink and socialize, so it’s our goal to provide it,” he says.

Chef Katie Formuzis, formerly of Washington, D.C., has crafted a menu of about 30 small plates including Aged Cheddar and Fat Tire Ale Fondue, served with grilled baguette slices and caramelized apples.

“It’s a straightforward menu with ingredients you can understand,” Timmins says. “We’re taking the intimidation out of it.”

Dandelion also plans for 75 percent of its food to be supplied by local farmers and for much of its beer selection to come from Carolina breweries.

Fans of the partners’ pubs will find a similar lively, party atmosphere at Dandelion, despite the addition of cuisine and servers. Two full bars – one downstairs and one up – will have 24 craft-style beers on tap, along with an affordable wine list (no bottle over $25).

“We’re still going to do what we do after dinner (served until 11),” Timmins says. “We’re not going to get away from what we’re good at, but this gives us another angle.”

So at a time when businesses are struggling to stay afloat, how do the guys manage to keep their bars hopping and add a restaurant to the mix?

“We do our best to make friends with our customers and take care of them,” Devin says. “That’s always No. 1 to us.”

And while opening a new business in any economy is always a risk, Timmins says the moderately priced menu (plates range from $4 to $15) is what uptown needs.

"We think that's going to give us a nice jump-start," he says. "People will be more apt to check us out not just only on special occasions."

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice! A Pub! I like it!

Anonymous said...

sounds like this will be a nice place. Lord knows it will be better that epidisney

Anonymous said...

Cool. I forward to boozing there.

Anonymous said...

It will be nice if they do feature NC beers. There is a really good NC beer scene going on, and the more places where you can get Duck-Rabbit, Foothills, French Broad, et al, the better!

Anonymous said...

It will be so good, I won't remember it.

Anonymous said...

exactly if you don't recall, it was a great time. also nice it's a pub

Jocephus said...

I like the local product love, esp. the local brews... anon 5:02 is spot on.

Unknown said...

Thank God something new is opening Uptown without the words "upscale" or "exclusive" being used!

Anonymous said...

I have no odea what small plates means, but will this place be open for lunch?

Anonymous said...

sounds like a good concept..BTW its not a "Brand" its a allegedly successful ownership group opening a new bar/resturant. I like good beer.

Anonymous said...

All the best to them. I'll be giving them a shot.

Anonymous said...

Any bar that doesn't emphasize Budweiser and Miller products has my business!!! Sounds like a nice place, too!

kegmasta tony said...

agreed, I love that they don't attach VIP or LUXURY to the concept.

godfather drunky said...

drunk mob will be taking that over!

Anonymous said...

Wow compare and contrast the comments here vs. the announcement for Fiji and Kashmir. I think we have a winner! One step closer to ending the reign of D-Bags Uptown!

Louie 7:43, I second that!! I wish the Charlotte newspapers/magazines would permanently ban the words "upscale," "exclusive," and "VIP."

Unknown said...

These guys are a class act. I can't wait for Dandelion Market to open.

Anonymous said...

FAT TIRE is a rip of a beer. No thanks!

Anonymous said...

i need something fun & different to do this evening. and this place isn't open yet so...any ideas?

Diarmid said...

Ooh, it doesn't have the words "Urban" or "Uptown" in the title. Michael Smith and Moira Quinn do not approve. Also, a lack of Bud Light in the press release turns off the Eppycrapper crowd. And wait, Latorre doesn't have his hands on it?

They're doing everything right! See you on opening day!

Anonymous said...

FINALLY !!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

NC does have a good local beer scene, sans Charlotte though.

Anonymous said...

This is what the neighborhood has been asking for............forever. As long as the beers are good I am there weekly.

Throw Bud, Natural light or Miller on the menu and you just flat lose it.

Anonymous said...

There is a good brewery in Charlotte, Old Mecklenburg Brewery, fairly new and have good beer! Maybe they will serve that there, along with Carolina Blonde. Sounds like a fun place.

Anonymous said...

Carolina Blonde and Old Meck both suck. Only a step above Bud.

Highland, French Broad, Asheville, Green Man, Pisgah, Duck Rabit, Big Boss, Boylan Bridge.

Now those are the better of the lot.