By Rob Peterson
“It’s going really, really well,” said Bud’s Bar owner Tom Brady, who purchased the Schoolcraft building and business and reopened the restaurant with his wife, Shannon. “We are doing double the volume from what we expected.”
Although they opened in August with a limited menu, the owners are adding items as their capacity grows. “We were overwhelmed with orders for nachos” when they were added to the menu, said Brady.
The best sellers so far are the smash burger and the chicken sandwich. “We use good meat for the burgers, and we hand bread the chicken at the restaurant,” said Brady. And they’re proud of the ribs. “Shannon’s baby back ribs are cooked for four hours with our own dry rub, then we cook them on the char broiler and serve them with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.”
Over the next month or so, they plan to add a Denver cut steak to the menu. They plan a fish fry on Fridays and prime rib on Saturdays.
Don’t expect them to be open for lunch yet, though; they are still struggling to find kitchen staff.
To get the space ready, the owners installed new floors and repainted inside. They fixed the plumbing and the air conditioning, and remodeled the kitchen. “We wanted the place to be familiar but fresh.”
They are keeping the iconic Bud’s Bar sign, but it will cost $21,000 to get it to light up again. To help raise the money for that project, they’re planning to hold special events. Keep an eye on their social media for announcements.
“We’ve been taken back by the support we’ve received,” said Brady. “It’s really humbling to have people thank us just for opening.”