The Brewhouse Cafe is a restaurant that is in the Little Five Points area in Atlanta, Georgia. It opened over twenty years ago and has been a thriving business ever since. Over the years, Brewhouse has become one of the most popular places in Atlanta to watch soccer that is being played in any league that is televised. Because of this, people from all over the city and the world go there to watch their favorite teams. Little Five Points is an area of Atlanta that has changed tremendously over the years. A closer look at what it is that makes a business thrive is required to see why Brewhouse has remained. The success of the business is largely thanks to the crowds that big games bring but the reason it’s survived for so long is thanks to the friendly and familiar environment they provide to the populace.
This business has thrived over the past twenty years because of something that most places overlook for the sake of making money. When evaluating what is required to make a business thrive, it’s important to note the importance the environment and hospitality have had in the continued success. Brewhouse Cafe employees are a perfect example of what southern hospitality embodies. This is obvious when analyzing how they interact with the customers. On more than one occasion a customer walked in and was immediately greeted by name and given a hug. The twinkle in the eye of one man when he was greeted this way made me think that maybe that was the first person in a while to be excited to see him(Burney). It warmed my heart and seemed to almost bring the man to tears. A customer feeling welcomed into a restaurant and leaving with a positive attitude keeps people coming back far more than a good plate of food or an ice cold beer. Anyone living in Atlanta knows very well that they could go to a different restaurant every night for a month and not repeat when it comes to a good meal. The same cannot be said for the atmosphere and energy. More often than not, when a person walks in and sits at the bar, they are greeted by name by the bartender. Why do the bartenders seem to know everyone that is coming in? The place runs off of people that came in one day and realized that this was a place that they wanted to call their home bar.
A street view of one of the many events Brewhouse hosts in the community. Burney, Sam, “Street Views.” 2018. JPG file
Last year, Brewhouse was bought by a new owner, Saakib Zafrani, who has been a patron for almost ten years. “I’ve been a customer for nearly a decade, took my wife on our first date there, and have made almost all of my best and lasting friendships there,” stated Zafrani in an interview (Spivak). This is extremely interesting because it begs the question: why would someone want to buy a restaurant out of the blue? Zafrani had the money to do it and, over the years, has fallen in love with the space. It was such an impactful place that he decided to buy it to make improvements and ensure its longevity. For a place like a sports bar to have such an atmosphere that leads to someone wanting to buy it to preserve it is a big deal. Zafrani in the same interview went on to share plans to upgrade technology at Brewhouse but was sure to state “I plan to keep the inside more or less the same, so as not to ruin that atmosphere that’s carefully aged like a fine scotch whiskey over the past 20 years”(Spivak). Why incorporate new technology but not change the look of the restaurant? Clearly it’s because that is something that cannot be replicated or replaced. It is what makes the place so special to its customers.
The atmosphere is aided by the customers being friendly to each other. “A soccer watchers’ dream with a friendly, competitive atmosphere and fresh drafts pouring throughout the matches” is how one blogger described it (Westveer). During an important soccer game I heard one man asking another about his wife and kids and how the family dog was doing(Burney). The friendly feeling given off by the staff rubs off on the customers and makes for an even friendlier environment. When analyzing what, other than numbers, push a business to thrive, it is important to know that customers that are happy and enjoying themselves in such an environment are more likely to spend more money and continue to come back. Emotions such as kindness can be something that a customer is much more attracted to and will pay more for than a plate of food. This process leads to more people becoming regular patrons and more people knowing about the space in general.
Brewhouse’s patio rightfully seeming with Atlanta United fans on a busy game day. Burney, Sam. “Game Day.” 2018. JPEG file.
Since Brewhouse is a soccer bar, it has seen more business than usual in the past three years thanks to Atlanta’s newest professional soccer team Atlanta United. Atlanta United brought a spike in business for every sports bar but especially Brewhouse. Despite the place being standing room only when there is an Atlanta United game on, the atmosphere remains the same(Burney). All of the people there are happy to be and having a great time. Why is that? There’s no way that a crowd that big would assemble randomly at any restaurant. This comes back to the customers that had a good experience spreading the word and thus bringing in more business. The fact that a space that isn’t usually as crowded as they get on Atlanta United game days can maintain an atmosphere that keeps customers happy is a merit to their success.
Businesses that are just starting or even haven’t started yet stand to take away a good bit from observing how Brewhouse has thrived. A closer look at the success that is thanks to the environment that the staff and customers create is a phenomenal example of how every business should be run. It doesn’t take very long when being at Brewhouse to understand the truth in this report. In an industry that is huge worldwide it is important for the ones that plan on being around for an extended amount of time to have something that not everywhere else has. Every restaurant that wants to stand out and succeed should put a twinkle in a customer’s eye and make them feel at home.
To take an up close and personal look at the energy and atmosphere, take a look at this video taken on the night that Atlanta United won the Major League Soccer Championship back in December of 2018: https://youtu.be/Q-mW3VSNcpw
Works Cited
Spivak, Caleb J. “Brewhouse Cafe Has Been Acquired, New Owner Planning Modernization.” What Now Atlanta, 18 Oct. 2019, whatnowatlanta.com/longtime-patron-acquires-brewhouse-cafe-in-little-five-points-is-planning-minor-modernization/#!
Westveer, Brittany. “The Brewhouse Cafe.” Your Guide to All Things “Atlannuh”, 7 July 2018, theatlguide.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/the-brewhouse-cafe/.
Burney, Samuel. Observation. March 11, 2019