Belgian Beer Cafe Coming to a US Airport Near You
Belgian Beer Cafe, the chain of about 60 casual-dining restaurants worldwide, will open its first U.S. unit later this year at Newark Liberty Airport, and expansion into other U.S. markets is expected. Anheuser-Busch InBev owns the rights and licenses to the Belgian brasserie-themed operation in markets outside the U.S., while Creneau International NV, a Belgian interior design agency, has obtained the licensing and franchise rights to the venue in the U.S. The New Jersey location is expected to open in the coming months. In addition to the Newark airport location a tentative development agreement is expected to bring 10 Belgian Beer Cafés to the New York City and Boston metropolitan areas within the next five years.
Launched by then-named InBev in 1998, Belgian Beer Cafe now operates in about a dozen countries. The venue serves up classic Belgian cuisine and draft and bottled Belgian brews, with units ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 square feet. Typically, the operation offers between 20 and 40 Belgian beer varieties from several Belgian breweries —both bottled and draft—and classic Belgian dishes like Flemish beef stew, steak and frites, asparagus soup and mussels with Belgian fries.
Backed by the design expertise of Creneau International, Belgian Beer Café offers a safe refuge after a hectic working day or the proper finishing touch to the end of a pleasant day. Typical of a Belgian brasserie café, patrons will find spacious rooms with extensive seating and a perfect view of the comings and goings of the surroundings, both inside and outside.
“There are four pillars behind the success of Belgian Beer Café: our wonderful beers, outstanding food, terrific ambiance and great service,” said Erwin Himpens, Franchise Director for Creneau International. “We stand out from the rest. For example, where else can you go where your server will be able to explain and educate customers on how certain beers pair well with specific dishes?” Belgian Beer Café has all the ingredients for success. And even though the U.S. economy has seen better days, Himpens believes Belgian Beer Café will have no trouble prospering in the U.S. – as it has throughout the world. Good beer, good food and good atmosphere equal a winning trifecta.
Read more on the expansion of the Belgian Beer Cafe concept to the US: