Chattanooga-based Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group on Friday signed a licensing agreement that will take the Gordon Biersch brand to Taiwan in 2008 with further plans for mainland China and beyond.
As part of the agreement, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group will provide significant support for the initial opening and ongoing operations.
“We are excited to have found a partner that will be able to bring the quality and energy of the Gordon Biersch dining experience to Asia,” said Allen Corey, president and CEO of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, which includes Big River Grille.
He said, “We have considered numerous opportunities in the past for Asia. With the G&B Brewery Development (Asia) Corporation we have a partner who meets our requirements in terms of financial foundation for growth, operating standards and cultural compatibility. For the first time we have found a true partner capable of operating and growing the Gordon Biersch brand successfully and with the highest quality standards.”
The G&B Brewery Development (Asia) Corporation plans to have the first Gordon Biersch unit in Taiwan open during the spring of 2008.
Brian Green, the primary investor who will also serve as chairman and CEO in the new venture, stated, “We visited numerous Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants while considering brands that would translate well to Taiwan and Asia. Gordon Biersch has the right combination of product and operating systems that we know will prove successful in Asia.” Green has been an entrepreneur in the technology field and currently is the Chairman of the Lumitek Corporation based in Taiwan.
In preparation for the opening, the operations team for the initial Taiwan unit will visit the United States and train for nine weeks in a Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. In advance of the spring opening, members of the Gordon Biersch operations and senior management team will visit Taiwan to consult on construction, training, operations and marketing functions.
Jeff Lee, President of G&B Brewery Development (Asia), will lead the initial Taiwan opening and further Asian expansion. Mr. Lee said, “We have assembled a seasoned team of restaurant operators who are excited by the extensive depth to which Gordon Biersch will offer support in preparing us for success. The opportunity to bring this unique combination of fresh, flavorful food and handcrafted, microbrew beer to Asia will be a great source of pride for our team.”
Mr. Lee, a 1993 graduate of the Florida International University in Miami, previously managed the opening and ongoing operation of numerous TGI Fridays located in Taiwan and China. In addition to over ten years of restaurant operating experience, he has taught a variety of hospitality courses at the Providence University located in Taichung, Taiwan.
In addition to expansion in Asia, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group announced roll-out of its Big River branded bottled beer. Big River Vienna Lager and Big River Red Ale will be available at numerous retail outlets beginning in early September and are the same handcrafted beer as the highly successful versions already brewed and sold in Big River Brewery Restaurants. The Big River Red Ale is a Gold Medal Award Winner from the Great American Beer Festival.
“We are happy to offer our craft beer in a way that can be enjoyed everywhere as well as our restaurant,” said Mr. Corey. “The tremendous support of Chattanooga for the Big River brand makes this next step possible in further making available our award winning, craft beer.”
Gordon Biersch’s plans for domestic growth are on track with new units opening in the Phoenix, Kansas City, Dallas and Myrtle Beach markets. Two units will open in the Phoenix market in October of 2007. The Scottsdale unit will open October 22nd and San Tan Village, a development in Gilbert just southeast of downtown Phoenix, will open Oct. 26. Units in Dallas, Kansas City and Myrtle Beach are planned to open in Winter and Spring of 2008. Gordon Biersch has opened seven units in the last 18 months.
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group currently operates 33 restaurants with headquarters based in Chattanooga.