Why New Albany brewhouse cut the cord on food service

The reason New Albanian Brewing Co. discontinued food service at its Bank Street Brewhouse earlier this week is simple: “It didn’t make enough money,” said Roger Baylor, co-owner of the company.

New Albanian’s owners had given the food-service effort five years — the length of its initial lease at 415 Bank St. in downtown New Albany.

In addition to the Bank Street Brewhouse, New Albanian Brewing Co. has its original location, a pizzeria and public house, at 3312 Plaza Drive in New Albany. The New Albanian Pizzeria & Public House will continue to sell pizza as well as sandwiches, calzones, salads and pasta dishes.

The brewhouse, which offered gastro pub foods, had developed a good customer following, Baylor said. It was profitable sometimes, but it wasn’t consistent, he said.

“It wasn’t for want to customers,” Baylor said. “But the cost to do that bistro/gastro pub cuisine (compared) to doing pizza, it was just two entirely different animals.”

The cost associated with offering a higher-end gastro pub menu at the brewhouse took money away from both operations by eating into the profit margin. Baylor said.

“What we were actually doing was starving the other parts of our business from investment capital,” he said. “We just need to make a change and try something different.”

Baylor declined to disclose how much he will save in food and labor costs.

New Albanian laid off 13 of the brewhouse’s 20 employees as a result of discontinuing food service.

The company hopes to keep its kitchen certification from the Floyd County Health Department in case it decides to offer food again in the future.

But for now, Baylor said, the brewhouse will serve as a taproom for the brewery and can be rented for events. New Albanian also is considering hosting its own events, such as an art show, and allowing a food truck to park outside its business to serve hungry customers.

“We are going back to digging up all the ideas we had” when first opening the brewhouse, Baylor said.

The new hours for the brewhouse are 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.