Anheuser-Busch InBev has said it plans to launch the Belgium bar concept to the US, with plans to open ten locations of ‘The Belgian Beer Cafe’ during the next few years.
The first Belgian Beer Café in the US is set to open at Newark Airport in the next few months, Public Radio International reported.
Belgian Beer Café venues will offer a range of Belgian beers from a variety of Belgian brewers, but most likely all will be imported by AB.
The company said some of the brands on the menu include Stella Artois, Leffe Blonde, Belle-Vue Kriek, Hoegaarden, Straffe Hendrik and Adriaen Brouwer, all of which are owned by ABInBev.
Why “ish” its a Belgium company offering authentic Belgian made beer right?
Perhaps the subject title suggests a comparison to other chain restaurants: ie., Belgian Beer Cafe is to Belgian fare is similar to what Fado is to Irish; what Olive Garden is to Italian; what P.F. Chang’s is to Asian, etc.
Pleasant enough, but they all seem to offer rather lackluster fare that somewhat evokes the suggested ethnic origin, but in the end winds up being generally Americanized and generic.
Perhaps Belgian Beer Cafe will be different, perhaps not…but if the novelty gets people in the door and the beer offerings open up the occasional BMC palate to trying something different, I’d say it can be a good thing.
Should be interesting to see what they come up with and how it flies here.
How is this legal? I thought the 3 tier system didn’t permit manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, restaurant/bars or retailers to have financial interest another business dealing in products they control.