Boylan Bridge Brewpub Opening Date Postponed

One of these days, Boylan Bridge Brewpub will open and we will all get to have a beer and enjoy the view of downtown Raleigh, but it won’t be on August 25th as previously stated. A post made on Friday August 8th states that (as readers speculated) it will not open until late September.

Friday August 8, 2008 - * UPDATE * The Boylan Bridge Brewpub had planned to open on AUGUST 25, 2008; extended delays in construction beyond our control and permitting have pushed the opening date back about 30 days, a little closer to the third week in September. We look forward to serving the community and appreciate the positive comments from everyone.

The Bridge is hoping to find three people to assume key responsibilities on August 8. They are the Manager, the Cook, and the Brewer. Details for these positions and the overall plan for the brewpub can be found in the business plan.

If you are interested, send an email with an attached resume to . Please put in the subject line the position you want. (ex. Manager, Cook, Brewer)

smitty08/15 07:20 PM

Sidetracked again.

dubedo08/18 04:06 PM

When we first moved into Boylan Heights over a year ago, we were very excited to see the signs that a brewpub was to open nearby. Now, 13 months later, I have very low hopes for this place. I jog by every morning, and so have watched the agonizingly slow building process, apparently accomplished mostly by one or two guys in the morning before they go to their real jobs. They have now put up tables outside . . . homemade plywood picnic tables. They still have no manager or chef, they are advertising for investors in the window . . . clearly they have run out of money. This is really too bad for the neighborhood. The location may not be the most glamorous but I think it could do well with appropriate offerings like good beer and decent food - see the success of Moonlight Pizza a block away. BH brewpub could still pull it off . . . but if they’ve run out of money before opening, I’m not sure how they’ll survive the startup period.

go figure08/19 02:56 PM

I’m not surprised by this development. There was talk of an opening over a year ago. I’ll see it when I believe it. The whole business strategy is awful and I don’t know how it will survive. You can check out the business plan online and see how the owner is relying almost entirely on investors who will not see much ROI according to the plan.

The plywood picnic tables aren’t exactly inviting. The menu is comprised of frozen foods. No brewmaster has been hired which makes me wonder how good the beer will be ...

15008/27 03:55 PM

dubedo, I agree. I’ve been waiting and waiting for the chance to walk down and grab a beer there. At this point, I’ve pretty much lost all interest in it. You are definitely right…the place to go is Moonlight. Great service, great atmosphere, great pizza.

I’ll wager a trillion dollars that it’s not open in the next 30 days. Take a peak inside, it’s not even close to being ready.

Another Cynic08/28 05:35 PM

Andrew told me about a year ago that he had never brewed more than 10 gallons of beer at a time. A friend of mine who was with me, who is a brewer, asked him if he’d experimented with brewing in the 100 gallon size yet. He had not, but explained how it would just take multiplying the recipe by 20. We tried to explain that brewing does not work that way. But… he told us off. Looking into the building, I don’t see that the 100 containers are hooked up yet, so I don’t think he has even tried brewing a large container yet.

But now that he’s looking for 3 positions, the brewer being one, maybe he did try and fail. And if you look at his business plan, did you see he plans on paying his managers, the brewer and the head cook a salary of $25K per year. I don’t think he’ll find anyone at those salary rates.

Plus, he told me that his business plan needs to have the inside and outside full year round, and he will not sell any other beer than his own.

There is no street parking, so all of his customers will have to walk or bike.

Even if he does open, I doubt he’ll be able to make it. I do wish him the best, and I hope his beer is good.

hopeful08/28 07:24 PM

I really hope this place opens up SOON. I think it can do very well, depsite the fact that they will probably miss their opportunity for outdoor seating as it already almost Sept. and doesnt look to be opening anytime soon. I wish them all the best and say, hurry up, get it together, and open already. The neighborhood is ready!

15008/29 11:58 AM

I still don’t understand why this building doesn’t have a nice big deck off the back (perhaps all of the architects on this site can address that). It would have a fantastic view of the Raleigh skyline, and having a beer out there on a summer night would be a pleasure. It would certainly help make the pub a destination. I’m not sure those little picnic tables are going to cut it.

Al08/29 02:37 PM

Does anyone know the REASON for the delays? Opening a business in the City of Raleigh is no easy feat. Have any of you people tried it? Do you know what kind of hoops the City makes a small business owner jump through? I’m sure you don’t. The construction permitting process is daunting. This is a “change of use” project which means even more inspections and rules. I’m sure they are experiencing all types of obstacles that were unforeseen.

15008/29 03:13 PM

Well, you’ve got me pegged, Al. I don’t know the reasons for the extended delays. What has interested me for the last several years with this pub is that they keep offering up opening dates, but they’ve never even been close when those dates arrive.

How can Boylan Bridge Brewpub be so far off in their estimates? Is it really due to the construction permitting and city hoops? Other business have opened, others have been constructed. These things suggest to me that it’s not about the construction process or the City of Raleigh, but something else.

If the owners miss opening dates by months and years, something must be off. Maybe it is just a multitude of “obstacles that were unforeseen”, but that in itself is a worry.

Pete09/03 02:16 PM

Not sure if they have to deal with any of the historic delays that we had when opening up riv. It is extremely hard to open a small restaurant in this city. My parents owned 2 small restaurants in NJ and they moved to Raleigh to retire and ended up opening a new restaurant it took three times longer to get the building permits, naming rights, certificate of occupancy, all three health inspections, fire inspections, building code inspections, building inspections, electrical, plumbing, all NC traits that need to be inspected not to mention all the actual upfit of the building and God forbid they are in one of Raleighs Historic Buildings now your in a whole new world of issues with the state as to what you can and cannot do. As for 25k a year you may be able to get a line cook for that. Maybe. But as far as a brewmaster or Manager there is no way someone is going to work for that small amount of money.

All Good Things Take Time09/11 08:34 PM

What ever happened to a sense of community? Did anyone stop to think during their criticisms that these guys are doing all they can to get a decent establishment in an area that needs it? Where’s the support? If he believes in it, can we not give it a chance? It hasn’t even opened yet, and I guess I can’t understand what the hostility is about. Everyone who has commented sounds like they understand how hard it is to make a small business work, and what hoops you have to jump through to make that happen with the city, county, and state permits, ordinances, codes, etc.. I say chill out and let them open first, before all of the knock downs. Do people really understand the damage negative e-mails and comments like these do to business owners? Good Luck Boylan! I’ll be there opening day!

JOE09/11 10:36 PM

If you know what you are doing it takes 3-6 month to up fit and open a restaurant; IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. But the problem here is you got people that know how to make beer at home, make a meal at home, and think they are qualified to open restaurant. One can’t blame the government for this delay. One can blame the man behind the master plan. He needs to either hire a professional restaurateur to run the place and stay silent and out of it, or be part of the 90% of restaurants that last one year.
And, where do I park?

go figure09/12 10:13 AM

It does not take 2+ years to open a restaurant. I don’t understand why the dude couldn’t go out and get a small business loan and take on the risk. Instead he wants to get share holders at $30k a pop to bare the burden.

As a resident of BH, I was very excited about this place opening but now it’s a joke.

Jackie09/12 10:20 AM

I will be there opening day too. That said, I am tired of waiting for that opening day to get here. I am not a small business owner, I am a customer and to be honest, I dont feel sympathetic to the steps one must go through to open a restaurant. It was a choice, so why should I have pity? There are obviously other reasons for delays. I am just saying, I agree with go figure, kind of a joke in the neighborhood at this point. AND despite all that I will still be a regular!!!

JOE09/12 11:14 AM

I bet a tall, cold bottle of imported or domestic beer purchased from Boylan Bridge Pub that this Leager guy is in cahoots with the developers of the condos across the street to pretty up that building and the hood with “investor money.“
I bet a Johnny Walker Blue shot purchased from Boylan Bridge Pub that the developers put up the seed money to buy the brewing equipment, to make investor interested and make them feel as if the investment is solid.
The reason this place isn’t open yet is because nobody wants to put their money into it; not the developers, not Leager, and nobody else with half-a-brain.
Oh, one more thing, I bet a glass of 1999 Opus One purchased from Boylan Bridge Pub that the health department is going to hold-up the opening for two additional month after Leager thinks he’s going to open, and it’s going to cost him at least $50k to fix it: The place is a dump.

15009/12 11:16 AM

All Good Things Take Time: I’ve got to echo Joe and Tired and Go Figure. This Brewpub may have good intentions and they may also be having troubles with Raleigh. Put that aside for a second. My biggest issue here is….why advertise OPENING DATES if you are having those problems? I feel like a puppy begging for scraps. My owner dangles the bacon, then pulls it away. It doesn’t make sense to me that you can claim city roadblocks and that you’re ready to open at the same time. A second issue for me is that I almost never see any work being done there when I go by. It just doesn’t scream that progress is being made. Lastly, if negative postings on a small blog like newraleigh is going to damage this place, then they have no business opening in the first place. The gutted building during advertised opening dates are going to have a much bigger impact.

I still want it to open, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

15009/12 11:21 AM

Also, regarding the notion that it takes a long time to open a place in Raleigh…...I first heard about this brewpub from a neighbor….in June 2005. That was over 3 years ago. Yikes.

Slim09/12 11:35 AM

What’ your problem JOE?
Why are you bitter?
I met the guy, Leager, and he seems like a nice guy. I agree, he is clueless at the restaurant business and has a delusional business concept that may work well for a dinner party, but not as a food and beverage business concept.
In the food and beverage business you strive for 120% customer satisfaction; you strive to meet everybody’s needs; you strive to anticipate everybody’s needs.
This gentleman is striving for self-satisfaction and believes in his journey to satisfy himself, he will pickup some hitchhikers that will join him. He is not concerned about the needs of the many, but the approval of the few (like any self respecting architect.)

TAKE IT EASY JOE!!! Go have a cold one.

Jackie09/12 11:39 AM

Kind of funny that Boylan Bridge Brewpub AND Bloomsbury Estates are both exceedingly far behind schedule…yet progess on construction at the prison is right on schedule.
150 has put it better than anyone…WHY KEEP POSTING OPENING DATES WHEN YOU OBV KNOW YOU ARENT GOING TO OPEN. I wonder how many people will put in apps for jobs that have an undecided starting time?

JOE09/12 11:59 AM

The man is seeking publicity on line. He boosts about himself and his businesses. He seek investors and loyal customers. And like joe said the man is “clueless”
He was seeking publicity, and he is getting it; just hope what they say about negative publicity is true.
Has anybody seen the managers pic? NICE ;@
He done something good; hope she’s not a “Glorified” waitress, eye candy, and she’s opened a restaurant before.

go figure09/12 12:57 PM

Maybe he should be concerned about the needs of many rather than a select few. I know a lot of residents of BH are tired of opening date after opening date coming and going.
We’re approaching the third week of September and there’s no way this place will be open. Permits cannot be the excuse anymore. If the permits were an issue, more work would appear to be done. That’s not the case here.

richardfoc09/12 01:55 PM

Wow. You people really want some beer. From reading these posts you would think there wasn’t anyplace near BH where you could go get a beer and some food. I guess I really don’t understand why everybody has their shorts in a knot. Either the place opens or it doesn’t. No skin off my nose and I suspect none off yours. Life moves forward and you folks should too.

JOE09/12 02:45 PM

We’re just a bunch of lifeless, losers.
But SERIOUSLY, I think it’s the DEMOCRATS fault this place has failed to open. I think we need to elect REPUBLICAN to every office in the WORLD, and they will make the beer flow; they will make the beer flow, like they have made honey flow from the towers of BABYLON.

GO McCAIN/PALIN
DRILL, DRILL, DRILL
KILL, KILL, KILL
BREW, BREW, BREW (BUDWEISER)

CHEERS

Jackie09/12 03:06 PM

Richard, I think you are missing the point. Everyone posting has an interest in seeing this bar to fruition. We want it to open. We want a new restaurant/bar in Boylan area. Of course we will continue to go else where, and i can assure you, I dont have my shorts in a knot. If you arent concerned about the development of this area, go somewhere else, and dont critize people for taking an interest in their community. Red Boy, not really sure why you are here either. Leave this blog to the people that care about their community.

JOE09/12 03:11 PM

NEVER MIND.
SORRY, I forgot this was THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
You two are free to say and do what you want, where you want, as long as you are not breaking the law.
FORGIVE ME!!!

richardfoc09/12 06:33 PM

Missing the point? Really? The point on here seems to be trashing this place and it’s owner before it even opens. Not sure how that’s going to help it be successful. Personally I hope they make it work but with attitudes like I see on here…from the community…I give it 6 months and then you folks can have a whole other discussion about why it failed. Nice job deveoping community. BTW, people who don’t have their shorts in a knot don’t tend to include ALL CAPS in their posts.

Peace.

Magnus09/14 01:27 AM

Sarah Palin had everyone working on this project sacked. It’s her fault (just like everything else)

Matthew Brown09/15 05:13 PM

Mr. Leager is my ideal of a good citizen of Raleigh. He has restored historic houses, run a cabinetry business downtown, raised two wonderful children, performed with local theatre and music groups, served on community boards, advocated for smart growth, he rides his bicycle to work, and now he wants to turn what was an empty space into one of the coolest bars in Raleigh, with its own brewery. How anyone can trash this guy is way beyond me. I only wish Raleigh had more like him.

So the Brewpub is behind schedule. Everything is. So it’s way behind schedule. Hey, he’s never done this before. Should nobody try anything new? Sure, it might fail. That only makes it more admirable that he’s going for it.

But I don’t think it will fail. It’s a great idea, it’s a great location, and Mr. Leager is smart and energetic and determined. Years from now, nobody will care how long the opening was delayed and nobody will be bragging about how they knew it would fail.

15009/15 05:43 PM

Matthew: I really don’t think anyone is trashing Mr. Leager. He may be the best guy in the world, but we’re discussing the delay in the brewery’s opening, not the merits of the man.

WiseOne09/15 08:58 PM

Drink at Moonlight until it’s open.

Boe09/16 01:50 AM

I agree with Matthew Brown. How dare you people criticize Mr. Leager. As a P.O.W. he had no restaurant/brewpub; no beer. He has no clue how the whole process works, but, as a P.O.W. we should have patience and let him lead us to beer; he has earned the right; even if it leads us to blindness and/or food poisoning.

Marie09/17 12:06 PM

An Applebees or a T.G.I. Fridays could come in and be open on time, but would we want that? Unlikely. Most of us like locally owned businesses and with the enjoyment of locally owned businesses often comes the struggles for the owner; be it lack of finances or experience. I’m just happy a chain restuarant isn’t opening there. I’d wait another year if need be to enjoy the character that a locally owned business brings to our community.

neighbor10/05 02:38 PM

Perhaps some progress has been made. The space looked cleaned up yesterday. Maybe they will open before the end of the year, but not surely not this month.

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Jedidiah Wednesday, August 13, 2008