Baltimore may be the land of $1 Natty Bohs but a couple of entrepreneurs are hoping people will pay upwards of $5 for a draft beer.
Dr. Matthew Earl and John Stein are spending $1 million to open
World of Beer this summer at Locust Point’s
McHenry Row residential and retail development. The 3,400-square-foot restaurant will open across from supermarket Harris Teeter in a corner spot that faces Key Highway. It will seat 75 to 100 and feature additional seating on its patio.
Beers will cost $5 to as high as $50 for a Sam Adams Infinium, says Earl, a radiation oncologist at the University of Maryland and a beer lover.
World of Beer will feature 60 beers on tap and about 600 bottles of beer – but not your standard Budweisers or Coors. It will also serve wine, but not hard alcohol.
Earl says he hopes the pub will appeal to folks looking for a low-key alternative to some of boisterous bars in Federal Hill. And he says he thinks people will pay the higher prices to drink beers they wouldn’t otherwise get to try.
“This is unique opportunity to sample beers from around the world,” Earl says.
The bar will offer a limited food menu, including soft pretzels and stuffed sausages. The interior will feature high ceilings, a wood bar, large coolers with bottles on display, and a stained concrete floor.
Live music will be played three nights a week and Earl says he is working with sound engineers so the music isn’t too loud.
“We’re not looking to be a place where you get trashed. We’re looking to be a place where you can enjoy a couple of beers and listen to some nice music.”
World of Beer is a fast-growing franchise based in Tampa, Fla. It recently opened its 37
th location in Denver. Currently, its closest location to Baltimore is in Arlington, Va.
So how did a doctor who treats cancer decide to tap into the beer market? Earl says he always wanted to open a restaurant, but decided to go the franchise route because the company gives you a formula to follow along with its expertise.
He says the bar will be privately funded.
Writer: Julekha Dash; @Julekha;
[email protected]
Source: Matthew Earl, World of Beer