@JoelECarlson: Hello everybody, and welcome to today’s TwitterReview of @TheLocalMPLS with GM Josh Petzel at the helm. Lets get started!
Josh: Well, first thanks for having me “here” today! Hopefully, the weather has broken a bit so we can all enjoy a patio!
Q – #1 So Josh, tell us a little bit about the history of @TheLocalMpls. When did it start and where is it located?
Josh: The Local first opened up in Dec. of 1997 with aspirations of pub, fine dining & a boutique hotel in the floors above.
We are located on 10th and Nicollet in the historic Dolmen House. Over time, we’ve undergone a few remodels/changes
to best emulate a Victorian style pub you would’ve seen in Dublin towards the end of the 19th Century.
Q – #2 Interesting! So moving fast forward to today, what kind of menu does @TheLocalMpls feature, and what are some of your popular items?
Josh: Our menu has evolved over the years to reflect our true pub nature. We do traditional pub items like Fish and Chips,
Shep Pie, and Sausage/Mash. However, we do put a twist on things to keep them current with trends and regional traits.
Unfortunately, Irish are not renown for culinary adventures. So it can be a challenge at times to overcome the image.
Although, we are working hard to turn that image around at all of the pubs and still keep roots firmly in the ground.
Q – #3 That comes from a great kitchen staff! Who are some of the people you currently have and have had in your kitchen?
Josh: Amen. Our Executive Chef, Jason Hicks, has been here for 12 years. He started as a line cook under Steve Brown, then
became a sous chef and now Excecutive Chef. Apologize, meant Steven Brown! Typing too fast today I guess…
All of our current chefs (4 Sous and 1 Exec) have a say and key role in menu development. We do weekly specials and
that are created by them. If the respnse is good and it fits our concept, it becomes a menu item next reprint!
Q – #4 Awesome! :) For people new to @TheLocalMpls, what are your hours of operation and when’s your Happy Hour? Any space for events?
Josh: Monday – Friday 11am to 2am. Sat – Sun 9am to 2am. However, we open early for any televised futbol/rugby match Sat/Sun
Even the ones that start @ 6am! Our HH is Mon – Fri 11am to 6pm for drinks and 2pm to 6pm for apps. We have many spaces
available for events from 8ppl to 80ppl. We have a dedicated Event Planner to handle all of your details!
Our website http://ht.ly/5d7Cu is always a good starting point.
Q – #5 Good idea. After yesterday’s weather, summer is officially here! Do you have outdoor eating space?
Josh: Ahh… yes. Patios and Nicollet Mall. Other than the State Fair, is there a better people watching combo? Doubt it! It
seats about 130ppl in the heart of the action on Nicollet Mall. Good spot to catch Holidazzle in the winter too!
Although it was not the first choice for people yesterday!
Q – #6 In addition to the food, the staff has to be good too to be successful. Are you currently hiring @TheLocalMpls?
Josh: We’re always looking for good people! Isn’t everyone though? We’ve hired the majority of our summer patio staff…
already. But, I do encourage people to always apply as we are constantly looking and evolving, an ongoing process.
Q – #7 Great! To close, how has @2GingersWhiskey and @GreenOxMeat been received by your customers? Good success?
Josh: @GreenOxMeat was launched last fall and has been constantly developing since then. It’s a great concept with numerous
and fantastic variations. We’ve been slowly implementing @GreenOxMeat products into the menus of all 4 pubs with
favorable results. We love guest feedback on these items because we can literally adjust recipes very quickly.
@2GingersWhiskey has also been a lot of fun to develop. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from both…
the neat whiskey and mixed drink guest. Our summer beverage menu rolls out this week with some interesting infusions!
We encourage everyone to try some and please share feedback! Whether food or beverage.
@JoelECarlson: Nice! Well thank you Josh for your time and comments today regarding @TheLocalMpls. Enjoy the day and your job!
Josh: Thank you! Time to get ready for hopefully busy lunch on the patio, have a great day!