There’s no doubt Julian Wright knows restaurants and bars – especially on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe.
Going back to the days when The Library was ASU students’ favorite hangout and continuing with current well-known venues like La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar and Handlebar (both of which he sold last year), his track record of success is well-established.
So it understandably raised eyebrows this week when he announced he was closing his latest venture – the 10-month-old Pedal Haus Brewery, a massive European-style beer garden – for three months to expand the brewing system and make other changes.
Previous: Pedal Haus to close for 3 months, big changes planned
Many Valley breweries and brewpubs have expanded their operations. None has closed to do so. Well, make that none until Pedal Haus.
Responding to comments on a Facebook posting of the MXSW story, Wright explained his thinking:
‘‘When you see the extent of what we’re doing it might make sense, who knows. I guess time will tell. We were close to the limits of brewery production capacity and didn’t want to spread ourselves thin by opening a second brewing facility. To do any sort of wholesale business next year we needed to add another 60-100 BBLs in tank space. We also wanted to feature the brewery to a larger extent in the space and lay some things out differently to make serving more efficient. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m crazy but I believe it will be best for the long run.’’
Asked about leaving his servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff in the lurch – at the slowest time of the year for the industry – he responded:
‘‘We gave them lots of warning and have helped find other jobs. We’ve also offered to pay them to help with construction-related things. It’s not a great scenario but closing down during peak season isn’t a great alternative either. Most seem pretty OK with it and are excited about the new plan.’’
He added:
‘‘With the amount of changes we’re doing, being open during construction wouldn’t have worked and could have led to a much longer renovation period. We looked at that option pretty closely. … I paid my way through college serving and bartending so I can sympathize, believe me.’’
Pedal Haus will close Monday. It’s scheduled to reopen Sept. 26.
