Fans of basement bars, German beer and Ann Arbor nostalgia will all have something to love in
Grizzly Peak's forthcoming Old German bar below the existing restaurant and brewery on W. Washington in Downtown Ann Arbor.
"The owners are always attempting to bring new energy to their restaurants," says Vice President of Operations for Grizzly Peak, Scott Joling. "They're always thinking, 'What can we do next?' They don't like to stay quiet for too long."
The Old German will pay homage to the restaurant by the same name that operated in the Grizzly Peak space nearly 20 years ago, but will differ from the original business significantly. The 1,500 square foot bar, formerly used as storage space, will feature a German aesthetic with lots of wood trim and serving tanks of beer behind the bar, as well as a limited number of German food items. The real focus, however, will be the German beer.
"We focus on ale up here [at Grizzly Peak], but there will be more of a focus on lagers down there," Joling says. "We've just doubled our brewing capacity."
Joling hopes to see the Old German ready for an opening in 60 to 90 days. Joling is working on plans to create a possible dedicated entrance for the bar now, and expects to hire an additional 12 employee to staff the bar.
Source: Scott Joling, Grizzly Peak
Writer: Natalie Burg, Development News Editor
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