Claim Jumper sold again?

ClownLoach
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Re: Claim Jumper sold again?

Post by ClownLoach »

storewanderer wrote: February 8th, 2023, 1:03 am
ClownLoach wrote: February 7th, 2023, 12:21 pm
There are quite a few BJs that have all the brewing equipment but it has been mothballed. They only brew in 7 locations total now and the only one that steers the ship is Boulder, Colorado. All recipes and formulas originate at the Boulder location only. It used to be that BJs actually brewed beer at every location where you see equipment and there were local flavors/varieties from each brewmaster. Those days are over. The fact that Reno is one of the few remaining actual brew locations might be why it is better than chain average. Reviewing their website appears that the only live brew locations left are Reno, Boulder, West Covina, Brea, Chandler, Huntington Beach, and Temple. The last time Huntington Beach won an award for brewing was 2010, I am almost sure that they no longer use that location for brewing. But locations like Tustin/Irvine and Laguna Hills with massive brew facilities are for decoration only now. Laguna Hills was a Gordon Biersch at one point in time and is a long, skinny restaurant with an entire wall of brew equipment that is sitting there idle. Tustin/Irvine appeared to be using the most visible tank room up front for random storage, making it as obvious as possible that they stopped using the brewing equipment. I wish someone would take over some of these locations and start brewing real beer again.

BJs was testing a new concept with a reduced menu in Anaheim Hills, the sign said BJ's GRILL and they were mainly pizzas, burgers, etc with a streamlined menu they could actually execute at a higher level of quality. Last I saw it had reverted to the same chain menu of way too many items with commissary prepared bottled sauces, pre-cut produce, water bath warmed pre-cooked meat, and frozen vegetables.

If they don't cut back their overgrown menu they're going to go down the same road as Claim Jumper and countless other restaurants that tried to be something for everyone which meant they became mediocre at everything.
It seemed like during COVID BJs made some pretty severe menu cuts but has restored most/all of what they cut more recently.

The Reno location is definitely still brewing, and at a high volume. I should take a picture of all the pallets of I guess kegs or barrels behind/beside the location. Google shows it at the back of the restaurant in street view but there are way more now.
At one time Reno was BJs largest brew facility but I think Temple is now the largest. At some point in the distant past I got a tour of their facility in Reno. There was some distinct reason why they built the large brewing facility in Reno. There was some kind of issue in California. I don't know what it was.
Knowing California there were probably wildly high energy costs, water costs, and governmental fees. They spent a lot of money building these restaurants with full brewery equipment only for it to sit idle there. Their website still says 7 brew locations but again I think HB is idle which takes down to 6. They don't exactly make it easy for the guest to see that the odds are excellent that they don't brew anything at their neighborhood restaurant.
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