Newmarket and East Gwillimbury are getting a new craft-beer-focused eatery that will hire 100 people in the area.
Charcoal Group is opening its 10th Beertown Public House with a $4 million renovation of the former Buffalo Wild Wings at 18287 Yonge Street. The Ontario-based franchise offers craft beer and dining, with plans to open an East Gwillimbury location in the spring.
CEO Jody Pablubiski said after opening up in Barrie, they received plenty of asks to come into the Newmarket area. They acted when they saw the site become available.
“We’ve been looking at this area for quite some time,” he said. “We opened Barrie two years ago. It was so well received, it strengthened our resolve.”
The restaurant focuses on local craft beer, aimed at creating a “modern beer bar” with food to match. The facility will have to be 6,275 square feet in the interior, with a total seating of 330 combined indoors and outdoors.
“We completely took out everything that was inside from the existing venue,” Pablubiski said about the renovation. “We think a big part of the experience and being able to actually meet the specific standards of service has to do with the way the restaurant is laid out.
“We’re going to be there for 20 years, so invest in it early, invest in the success and drive that forward,” he added.
The restaurant franchise was established in 2012. Pablubiski said he has been in the business since age 15, with his desire to build up a business stemming from his days in high school working at the Charcoal Steakhouse in Kitchener.
“For me, it’s all I’ve ever done,” he said of working in the restaurant industry.
The new franchise plans to hire about 100 people, including management, chefs, servers, line cooks, bartenders and hosts. The senior team at Charcoal Group maintains predominant ownership.
Although there is a craft beer focus, Pablubiski said he predominantly sees it as a restaurant, and they put care into the food.
With the changes in the industry towards more takeout options, Pablubiski said they see themselves as throwbacks.
“We’ve not cut back,” he said. “We simply want to deliver excellent experiences in the community we’re at. We strive every day to build our business one guest at a time.”
The business will open in the spring, with Charcoal Group holding job fairs in the coming weeks.
