Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill

Whiskey Creek® News

BROOKINGS, SD WHISKEY CREEK® TO OPEN IN AUGUST 2012
January 16, 2012

Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grills headquartered in Kearney, Nebraska is pleased to announce the addition of a brand new restaurant to be located in Brookings, South Dakota. The nearly 5,000 square foot restaurant will be built on a 65,000 square foot lot located just off Interstate 29 at Brookings. Construction of the new facility will begin in the spring and is anticipated to open in August 2012. The announcement was made by Company Owner and President, James Gardner of Estes Park, Colorado. “We are very excited to announce this new project after several years of re-trenching due to the economic crisis” said Gardner. In July of 2008, Restaurant Business named Whiskey Creek®, #27 in the Future 50 fastest growing restaurant chains in America. Several months later, the financial meltdown occurred straining the growth prospects of many casual dining restaurant chains including Whiskey Creek®. “We opened a number of locations that were under contract during the recession but guest counts were just not strong enough to sustain growth” said Gardner, who continued by saying “We feel that now is the time to re-position the Company for growth.”

Whiskey Creek® started in Florida in 1995. The concept features wood fire grilling over full size logs of Oak and Ash with proprietary seasonings and rubs that add delicious flavor not commonly found in other restaurants. The Company’s emphasis is on Steaks and BBQ. The concept was moved to Central Nebraska in 1996 to develop a close relationship with area cattle ranchers and farm families. The chain was the first in the world to market the Flat Iron Steak with cooperation from the Beef Council, the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida back in 2002. The Brookings location will be the Company’s 14th store and will be corporately owned. There are currently 4 franchised locations. Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill restaurants are located in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

The new restaurant planned for Brookings will seat approximately 190 inside and will offer outdoor patio seating for 36 patrons. It will feature the Company’s current contemporary Cowboy/Western theme. The restaurant will have a full bar but they emphasize that they are a restaurant that happens to serve alcohol, not a bar that happens to serve food. “This is a family restaurant, first and foremost” said Gardner “Our name comes from a fictional story about the Whiskey Creek in the Cowboy west and how it “staggered” through the land.” The restaurant’s menu is diverse and features steaks, BBQ, pasta, sandwiches, seafood, burgers and appetizers. Many of the items are made from scratch such as their famous homemade peach cobblers. Gardner notes the price/value of the menu and says that he wants Whiskey Creek® to be affordable for average, hard working American families.

The Brookings, South Dakota location will initially employ around 120 people. Applications and additional information may be found on the Company’s website at www.whiskeycreek.com.