MANAYUNK

Blog article by Manayunk Development Corporation Summer Intern, Katie Kavanaugh

Brendan McGrew never planned on pursuing a job in the restaurant industry. In fact, he didn’t even want to pursue business. As a criminal justice major at Saint Joseph’s University in 2002, Brendan never dreamed of one day owning a restaurant. Today, he is the proud owner of Bourbon Blue in Manayunk.  

Brendan was hired as a line cook in November 2002 as a college student in need of a part-time job. After graduating, he fell in love with the nature of the independent restaurant business, quickly climbing through the ranks and by 2004, he was one of the youngest general managers of a restaurant in Philadelphia. In 2008, he decided he wanted to take on a bigger role in the business. The only sensible option to try to advance further at Bourbon Blue was to become involved on a partner/ownership level, and after lengthy discussions with then owner, Sean Coyle, a possible agreement to purchase Bourbon Blue (rather than buy-in) was what made the most sense. Brendan wanted to go for it, but his post college budget could not afford it at the time. However, Coyle was a mentor to him and helped guide him though the financial process. In December 2008 it was official: he owned Bourbon Blue.

At the time of the purchase, he had been dating his girlfriend, Melissa, for about a year. When deciding about the purchase he told her, “Right now you have a choice: you can either have a ring or a restaurant.” He knew that with a big decision like this, he would need her support through the process. “Without her support I couldn’t do it. Literally couldn’t do it,” Brendan said.

Brendan credits Bourbon Blue’s success not only to his support from Melissa, but also to his team of enthusiastic staff members who go above and beyond to make each guest’s experience the best it can be. Brendan believes in running a business with the mindset of “guest first.” “Guest first means that you take care of your staff better than any guest and then they will take care of every guest better than they’ve ever been taken care of before,” said Brendan. At Bourbon Blue, they don’t say “no” unless something is absolutely impossible. Because they cater to each guest’s wants and needs, Brendan describes each night at Bourbon Blue as “a large dinner party.”

One particular story he shared was about a 14-year-old boy whose family was visiting Manayunk. The boy had never eaten at a restaurant because of severe food allergies. Brendan wanted to change that. “I said, ‘Look how about you tell me what you want.’ And he said, ‘What can I have?’ And I told him, ‘Whatever you want. You tell me what you want to eat and I’m going to make it for you personally right now as everybody else is eating. It might take a couple minutes longer but you will have your first restaurant meal here and I will guarantee you that you won’t get sick.’” Brendan said the boy’s face lit up as he ordered pork tenderloin and broccoli with sweet potato fries. “It was a weird combination for a 14-year-old to ask,” Brendan said. “But, literally I brought it out and just the smile on his face, it’s the reason you get into a business like this. You see that sense of satisfaction and it’s awesome.”

Bourbon Blue does it all, including events. They’ll host anything from a happy hour gathering after work to a wedding rehearsal dinner. Brendan and his team take care of everything so that all the guests have to do is show up. “If you’re doing a rehearsal dinner and you’re the parents, the only thing you should have to worry about is the toast. Other than that, every detail should be taken care of for you from bathrooms to flowers to linens,” says Brendan. Does this sound out of your price range? No worries. Brendan says to anyone interested in holding an event at Bourbon Blue, “Do me a favor, tell me your budget and we’ll figure it out.”

While Bourbon Blue has looked into updating the way they do business by implementing digital ordering from iPads and iPhones, they ultimately decided that what makes Bourbon Blue so unique is the personal connection made with each guest. As members of the community, they want to get to know each guest and give them the best experience possible. It’s part of why Brendan loves Manayunk. “You support people who support you,” he said.

When talking about purchasing Bourbon Blue in 2008 Brendan says, “I took the risk and never looked back.” And today, it’s easy to see why taking the risk paid off. To see the menu, happy hour specials, and more from Bourbon Blue, visit their website at www.bourbonblue.com.