The IPA is extremely tasty as well. Do any of you guys know what sort of brewing operation they run? While visiting for lunch one afternoon, I saw a tanker truck pulled up to the back. I'm assuming they just get pre-hopped extracts delivered, mix with water, and pitch?
EDIT: Found the answer here
http://www.gcfb.com/pr/press_0103.cfm
MINNEAPOLIS - October 18, 2001 - Founders Food & Firkins Ltd., d/b/a Granite City Food & Brewery (Nasdaq: GCFBU) announced the launch of a new patent-pending brewery process that will make micro-brewing for multiple locations more efficient. This brew method is trademarked under the name "Fermentus Interuptus" and allows Granite City Food & Brewery to transfer an unfermented liquid called wort, from one location to other locations where the fermenting will begin and the brew process will be completed.
Fermentus Interuptus is intended to improve the economics of Granite City's micro-brewing process by eliminating the initial stages of brewing and storage at multiple locations, thereby reducing development costs at new restaurant locations. The unfermented liquid known as wort contains no alcohol so it can be trucked anywhere in the United States. The receiving brewpub will unload the wort into its own brewing vessels, add yeast cells and conclude the brew process with fermentation, aging, storing and eventually dispensing beer.
The Fermentus Interuptus brew process will originate at the Sioux Falls, South Dakota brewery. The wort will be trucked to Granite City Food & Brewery in Fargo, North Dakota, which is scheduled to open to the public in mid November 2001. Although wort will be shipped only to the Fargo location at this time, the Sioux Falls brewery is large enough to service as many as 15 brew pubs. The Company's Chairman and Brewmaster Bill Burdick said "Every restaurant that is added to the Fermentus Interuptus program is expected to improve margins by serving multiple locations with a single brewing operation. Through this patent-pending process we are able to keep our high quality product intact and enhance our overall profitability. Truly the best of both worlds."
"We are extremely excited about introducing this new brewing process in conjunction with the opening of our third Granite City," said Steve Wagenheim, Founders Food & Firkins' President and CEO. "We will begin servicing our new Fargo location with Fermentus Interuptus when it opens in mid November at the West Acres shopping complex. Going forward, we anticipate Fermentus Interuptus will be a major part of our intended expansion of Granite City Food & Brewery locations within specific targeted markets."
Wagenheim said, "Fermentus Interuptus gives the concept exclusivity and uniqueness which will become more prominent with the growth of our company. This brewing process works for us because:
* Granite City Food & Brewery is a restaurant first. With the popularity of our food, the concept has good "legs" for expansion, and Fermentus Interuptus enables us to build on that platform.
* Fermentus Interuptus fits our development strategy of clustering our locations within geographic regions to maximize operational efficiencies.
* Our Chairman and Brewmaster Bill Burdick created this process of brewing because of his high level understanding of beer, the brewing process and brewery design. Mr. Burdick has over 35 years of hands-on brewing experience."
Granite City Food & Brewery provides fresh, high quality, made-to-order food and handcrafted beers, all made on site. Its broad menu offers traditional and regional foods served in generous portions at reasonable prices, affording customers an excellent value and pleasant dining experience.
Founders Food & Firkins Ltd owns and operates two Granite City Food & Brewery casual dining restaurants featuring on-premise breweries. Its first Granite City location, in St. Cloud, MN, opened in late June 1999. Its second location opened in Sioux Falls, SD, on December 18, 2000 and has enjoyed rave reviews from diners and local, regional and national media.
Certain statements made in this press release of a non-historical nature constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to implement and execute the Fermentus Interuptus process, our ability to use such process in our anticipated expansion, changes in economic conditions and the risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Form 10-KSB/A Report as filed for the year ended December 31, 2000 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT:
Steven J. Wagenheim
President and Chief Executive Officer
(952) 525-2070 ir (612) 751-3331
