Before the Riverfront Times spoke with Schlafly Beer co-owner Dan Kopman about the recently revamped menu at Bottleworks there was talk on a Maplewood Facebook group, and the 40 South News editor was told from other sources (unsolicited), that the changes were made to save costs by reducing the amount of locally-sourced food, which wasn’t sitting well.
In the the Riverfront Times, Kopman said Bottleworks made a commitment when it opened 10 years ago to support other local businesses, and the changes are to “help Schlafly fully realize that goal.” There will be a permanent menu and one that reflects what is currently available locally, he said.
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“The goal is to do what we can to promote other local food businesses through our menu,” Kopman told the RFT. “We want to make as many things in-house as we possibly can. Those are the two distinct goals.”
Thinking that the RFT article might not have addressed all the concerns, the 40 South News editor reached Kopman by email, and he responded and agreed to have his comments published.
This is Kopman’s response.
Long before the succession plan and bringing in both an outside ownership group and employee owners I thought that we were not doing everything we could to realize the mission at Bottleworks. The balance between what we pay for our food ingredients and prices on our menu is something we have to manage all the time. The changes we are making are less about this and more about how we realize the mission. At the end of the day I think the relationship between costs and prices will be about the same as it has been for years.
Change is never easy and I am sure we could have done a better job of communicating the changes internally and externally. There will be more details to come on the changes we will be making. At the end of the day we will be judged by our actions.
Read the full article in the Riverfront Times.
Just ate their tonight for the first time in a couple months. We didn’t even look at the menu, just ordered the usual. When they brought out my pulled pork sandwich I noticed the changes(not for the better). I asked my server when they changed it up. He seemed annoyed. Not at the question but with he response it required. He even said that some of the changes were cost related and something about a mad chef. Either way we both were disappointed and not really interested in going back. Luckily I can still get the beer anywhere!
I’m bummed. some of my favorite things have been removed. and the prices are up. and I was told they were trying to make everything in house now. which doesn’t promote local food business’ as they once have.
“The goal is to do what we can to promote other local food businesses through our menu,” Kopman told the RFT. “We want to make as many things in-house as we possibly can. Those are the two distinct goals.” — Dan Kopman.
No. They are intimately related goals. Or ought to be.