After a soft opening Monday, Farmers Gastropub was fully booked on New Year's Eve as it officially launched at its new location.
The farm-to-table, English-style restaurant and pub, which opened downtown at Wilhoit Plaza in 2009, is now operational at its new home at the north end of the Brentwood Center, 2620 S. Glenstone Ave., across from Battlefield Mall.
Co-owner and executive chef Bill Griffiths said the restaurant served about 250 during the course of the evening on Dec. 31, pushing some $7,000 in sales as the new year approached.
"Sales are already beyond expectations," he said.
At the downtown location, Farmers Gastropub brought in about $1,000 daily Monday-Thurday and about $4,000 on Fridays and Saturdays. Griffiths projects an average of $2,000 Monday-Thursday and $6,000 on Fridays and Saturdays at the new spot.
"We're expecting to smooth out our business flow," he said. "It will give us a more consistent income stream, which is much easier to project from and to work with.
"A lot of our regular customers from downtown all live closer to this location than they do to downtown."
Griffiths and his wife, Christina Fugitt-Griffiths, invested more than $500,000 to move to its new location, which the couple and business partners lease from Gillenwaters Developers for undisclosed terms. Farmers Gastropub occupies 3,800 square feet at the Brentwood Center - down slightly from 4,000 square feet at the downtown space at Wilhoit Plaza - but with a larger kitchen. The Griffiths signed a three-year deal with options for three renewals, Bill Griffiths said.
Griffiths said he hired about six new employees, bringing the restaurant's total to 28, to serve a seating capacity of 140. He's also looking to hire another four employees, including three cooks immediately.
The South Glenstone spot at the Brentwood Center has been home in the past to restaurants La Differace and Arde's Villa, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives. At Wilhoit Plaza, Farmers Gastropub is among a group of tenants with relocation plans. Art-house movie theater Moxie Cinema and retro antique store Funtiques Market also have plans to move out of the downtown center.[[In-content Ad]]
