Dan Gordon, co-founder of Gordon Biersch, Jeff Lee, and Allen Corey, CEO and president of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc.
Chattanooga-based Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc., which operates 27 flagship Gordon Biersch locations in the U.S. and celebrates its 20-year anniversary next month, marked its official international debut with the opening this week of its first Asian location in Taipei, Taiwan.
Located in Taipei’s Xinyi District, the brewery restaurant is a joint venture between the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc. and G&B Brewery Development (Asia) Corporation to tap the greater China market and its rising demand for U.S. beer. With it, Gordon Biersch becomes the first American brewery restaurant to enter Taiwan since the government opened the market to microbreweries in 2003.
In line with the Gordon Biersch commitment to freshly prepared, innovative international cuisine, the Taipei brewery restaurant will use identical recipes to its U.S. counterparts and fresh ingredients to prepare its made-from-scratch menu. 95 percent of the current offering features items from the U.S. menu, including the trademarked Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries, along with a number of regional dishes.
Further exploration of regional flavors will be the focus for ongoing menu development.
All beers will be brewed according to the same standards found in the U.S. and following the strict German purity law, Reinheitsgebot, which dates back five centuries. The Taipei unit will focus on fresh brewed, traditional beers including Märzen, Czech-Style Pilsner, Hefeweizen and Blonde Bock to start. Due to laws prohibiting on-site brewing, the brand’s renowned craft beers will be made at a brewery in Taipei and delivered fresh to the restaurant each day.
The onsite leadership team is headed by Jeff Lee, President of G & B Brewery Development (Asia), who has a background in foodservice and hospitality, including operations management with TGI Fridays in Taiwan and China and teaching hospitality courses at the Providence University in Taichung, Taiwan. The G&B Brewery Development (Asia) Corporation is led by Brian Green, Chairman of the Lumitek Corporation in Taiwan.
“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, Inc. “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.”
In preparation for the restaurant launch, the senior leadership group from Taiwan made numerous visits to Chattanooga where they learned about operations, marketing, training, construction and menu development to ensure consistent execution of the Gordon Biersch brand in Asia. The Taiwan operations group also spent nine weeks training in Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants in Phoenix, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
A team of training, brewery and culinary experts, led by Liz Stone VP of Training and Recruiting out of the Chattanooga headquarters, spent a significant amount of time in Taiwan consulting on construction, brewing standards, training, operations and marketing.
The opening marks a year of significant growth for Gordon Biersch, which launched new brewery restaurants in Kansas City, Mo., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Plano, Tx., earlier this year and will open another in Annapolis, Md., in the fall.
Adding to the excitement is the commemoration of the brand’s 20th Anniversary next month with a week of activities in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the company was founded and bottled beer brewery operations are still based.
In July, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants will celebrate the company’s 20th Anniversary with a week of brewer’s dinners and 80s-themed parties at its San Francisco, Palo Alto and San Jose facilities culminating with a special benefit concert event at its bottling facility in San Jose.
VIP packages are available. Special “Back to the Future” 80s parties also will be held at each of its 27 locations throughout the summer.
Headquartered in Chattanooga, the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group currently operates 37 restaurants, including Big River Grille & Brewing Works, which celebrates its 15th Anniversary in 2008.
At the core of the company’s philosophy is a passion to produce and deliver the highest-quality and freshest products. Fresh, made-from-scratch menu items and a strong service and hospitality culture illustrate the company’s dedication to providing a unique and exceptional dining experience.
The restaurants promote an inviting atmosphere, where attentive and friendly service complement fresh food and extensive beverage offerings. The Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc. operates 27 flagship Gordon Biersch brewery restaurants in California, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington, DC.