After much delay, Hays microbrewery scheduled to open doors to public in May

By RANDY GONZALES

Hays Daily News

Patrick McGinnis is ready for the question seemingly everybody is asking.

“Still looking at May,” for when the doors will open, said McGinnis, the general manager of Liquid Bread Brewing Co. and Gella's Diner.

The much-anticipated combination diner-microbrewery is expected to be an anchor for the Chestnut Street District in downtown Hays.

“You've never had comfort food and a brewery together,” executive chef Tim Pfannenstiel said.

In July 2002, it was first announced that the business' opening was planned for spring 2003.

However, construction delays and securing investors bogged down the project.

“(Finding) investors took longer than we thought,” McGinnis said. “It's a big project; we needed a lot of money.

“Bottom line was to find people who support Hays. It just took longer,” McGinnis added.

On a warm winter day last month, there were contractors busy at work at the future business, which will be located at 111 E. 11th, the old Midwest Energy building.

“We have a whole lot of contractors in here,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis moved back to Hays not just to help start a restaurant and bar, but to be part of the revitalization of downtown through the efforts of Downtown Hays Development Corp.

“That's why I'm back,” McGinnis said. “It's not just about a restaurant. ... We knew we felt we had a terrific starting point to change what's going on (downtown).”

McGinnis said a common misconception is a lack of available parking downtown. But the distance from car to front door will be about the same distance as from the Wal-Mart parking lot to getting a gallon of milk inside.

The whole idea of downtown is that in the two blocks you may walk from your car to the microbrewery's front door, you encounter specialty shops along the way, McGinnis said.

But never fear, for those who insist on a quick in and out, there will be valet parking available, McGinnis said.

Once inside the smoke-free business, diners can see an open kitchen, and on the bar side customers can see the barrels and part of the brewing process.

There will be at least a half-dozen flagship beers on tap. For those who don't want the house specialty, name-brand beers such as Coors Light will be available, just not on tap.

And for those not of drinking age, or who don't drink alcohol, there will be fresh-brewed root beer and cream soda available.

The menu, counting appetizers, will have more than 50 items.

“It will be comfort food with a twist,” McGinnis said.

For example, there might be chicken pot pie on the menu, but it won't be your normal chicken pot pie. Instead, it could be served with garlic mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables and a special sauce. If you order pork and beans, it will have roast pork and sausage.

Some Volga-German specialties will be on the menu, also prepared a little differently than what might be expected.

There will be hearty portions, and the price range will be comparable to other restaurants in town, McGinnis said.

There will be seating for 250, with a separate banquet room that can seat 50.

The business will employ about 65 to 70 people, mostly part-time. McGinnis plans a job fair in April. The hours tentatively will be 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

“We want people to be proud of what this is,” McGinnis said.

Sports editor Randy Gonzales can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 130, or by e-mail at

rgonzales@dailynews.net.