About Dunwoody reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 20??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 2021)
FEBRUARY 2021 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net Food & Drink | 9 DUN Food for Thought | Brewing up a good time during the pandemic challenge Joe Koplce, chief operating officer of Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant. Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant has opened its first location in Georgia at Lenox Marketplace, 3535 Peachtree Road in Buck- head, featuring an on-site brewery that can crank out 900 barrels of craft beer a year. Fare includes appetizers, tacos, pizzas, burg ers sandwiches, salads, and entrees. A sec ond location in the Perimeter Center area is in the works. Chief Operating Officer Joe Koplce provides details. For more informa tion, see ironhillbrewery.com/buckhead-ga. What challenges have you had so far? This is our first location in Georgia and we were slated to open in 2020. We had some construction delays due to the COV- ID pandemic. It definitely caused some con straints, and was the first roadblock in the process. Once we got into a position where we could move construction forward, we were then able to successfully open Iron Hill in Atlanta. You're bringing quite a few jobs to the area as well, aren’t you? We are. You’re talking a hundred to a hundred-and-fifty per location. We will open at the Perimeter in the summer, it looks like, so definitely extending our foot print and looking for more potential sites as we grow. We start construction in February. Can you talk about the food and beer you are serving? Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant is a craft kitchen and scratch brewery. We op erate with the freshest ingredients and make creative dishes but we also make beer from scratch Our basis and foundation has always been a restaurant that pairs our scratch beer with our handcrafted food so that they go together. I love beer but if you can have a beer with a dish that comple ments it, it really just makes the whole expe rience even better. Obviously as the landscape has changed and the craft brewery scene is pushing for ward, there are different trends. Philly Phavorite is our number-one-selling IPA and pairs well with our signature Philly cheesesteak egg rolls. We are always look ing to be at the forefront of beer and we fully understand what that scope looks like. We don’t try to be the trendiest, but we’re very meticulous, serious and disciplined about our approach to making beer. And then also bringing the restaurant along with it Iron Hill has a history of philanthropy. Tell us about it. We have our Triple Chocolate Hill des sert, which is a double fudge brownie and vanilla ice cream, then it’s got peanut but ter and caramel sauce, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, and it’s tied to a char ity initiative across the company. For each one sold, we donate 75 cents to CureSearch, which is for children’s cancer, and another 75 cents to a local charity, the Atlanta Chil dren’s Shelter. We’re always looking to do local fundraisers and engagement in the community and help out the best we can. What else should we know about Iron Hill? I think the people of Iron Hill are what make the brand. We have intelligent, incred ibly hard-working brewers, we have talent ed chefs and leaders running the restaurant day in and day out with an intense focus on giving great hospitality and making amaz ing food and award-winning beer. Has the local reaction been good so far? It’s been great. A lot of beer is selling and we are fully ready to go, one guest at a time. It’s a hard time for everyone and we want to help people gather and get away from world problems, break bread and have a good ex perience in the restaurant That’s really im pactful in people’s lives. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, but a little box from Lauderhills never hurt anyone. FINE JEWELRY 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive Suite 107 Sandy Springs, GA 30350 770-396-0492 www.Lauderhills.com
