Hops Press Release

Hops Restaurant, Bar & Brewery is a microbrewery restaurant committed to offering fresh, high quality menu items in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Our menu features signature dishes that are created from high-quality, fresh ingredients and prepared in a display style kitchen that allows guests to view the cooking process. We complement the fresh food by offering handcrafted, microbrewed beer, brewed in the glass encased brewery located in the center of our restaurant.

We take many steps to ensure that the quality of our menu and service remain consistent and exceed the standards within the casual dining industry. Our attention to detail and quality allows us to make a commitment of six basic principles: respect, fairness, hospitality, excellence, fun and courage. These promises are made to strengthen the underlying purpose of the restaurant industry, which is to serve people. In addition to the commitment of our principles, we also take extra steps to raise the standard of quality provided by multi-unit restaurant concepts. The attention to detail includes hand-peeling shrimp for the Walker's Wood Shrimp appetizer, using ingredients such as carefully aged, corn-fed beef and the freshest fish available. Other steps we take to ensure the quality of our menu items include utilizing a five-step cooking process for our baby back ribs, combining 12 different lettuces for the salads that are served in frozen bowls and making all of our soups, sauces and salad dressings from scratch. We are proud of our "lobby comfort" tradition that offers you samples of menu items while you wait for your table.

Our restaurants feature a warm décor with booth seating throughout most of the restaurant with size ranging from 5,600-sq. ft. to 7,000 sq. ft. and seating between 200 and 220 guests. Our large non-smoking dining room is separated from the full service bar by the copper and steel, glass-encased brewery. The dining room features dark colored carpet that helps guest enjoy the comfort of privacy with reduced background noise. The brewery concept is carried throughout our restaurant with prints and artifacts of classic brewery memorabilia and brewing components. We have created a casual atmosphere with a noticeable emphasis on quality food and service in a relaxed environment.

Hops Brewmasters create handcrafted, microbrews using a traditional brewer's art. Hops beers are made from all natural ingredients including imported Czechoslovakian Hops, domestically grown malts and the highest quality liquid yeast. Hops offers four permanent beer selections that include, Clearwater Light, a low calorie, low carbohydrate beer, Lightning Bold Gold, a classic American lager style beer, Hammerhead Red, a rich malt amber ale, and Alligator Ale, a full-bodied, mahogany colored ale with a smooth finish. In addition to the four beers offered, Hops has also started offering seasonal beers such as the Hoptoberfest, offered in the fall months, Flying Squirrell Nut Brown Ale and Big 'Skeeter Pale Ale. Other seasonal brews and extended beer selections are planned for the future.

The menu at Hops features signature dishes that were developed to accommodate a variety of tastes. Hops menu includes a selection of steaks, chicken, pastas and seafood that blend high-quality ingredients with unique sauces and marinades to create Hops signature dishes. Hops signature menu items include the Spicy Pork Tenderloin, which is marinated in olive oil and spicy, Jamaican Jerk seasoning and topped with a homemade Marsala mushroom sauce and the South Beach Chicken which is a tender double breast of chicken topped with goat cheese and Hops unique blend of tomatoes, basil, corn in a tangy marinade. Hops hand-cuts their ribeye steaks in the restaurant to ensure freshness and is committed to serving the Barbecue Baby Back Ribs steaming to every table. Hops also features a selection of signature items on their lunch menu.

The lunch menu includes the Walker's Wood Shrimp Platter, which features jumbo shrimp on a bed of yellow rice and topped with a homemade Walker's Wood sauce. The lunch menu also offers a lunch sized fresh catch, assorted pasta dishes and some lighter selections served efficiently during the busy lunch hours to accommodate guests needs. Hops signature sandwiches, salads with made-from-scratch dressings and homemade soups are always available. Lunch prices range from $6-$10 and dinner entrée prices average around $14.

Hops serves lunch and dinner, seven days a week and is open until 11pm Sunday-Thursday. Hops is open until 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays and many restaurants offer extended hours within the bar area during the weekends. Hops accept all major credit cards and are wheel chair accessible. Children menus are available for guests under the age of twelve and to-go service is available for lunch and dinner during the normal operating hours.

Hops home office is located in Tampa, Florida and is currently owned by RITA RESTAURANT CORP. located in Madison, Georgia. Hops currently operates 74 locations in sixteen states and does not franchise. The first Hops opened in Clearwater, Florida in November of 1989.

Hops Fact Sheet

Restaurant Concept:
Casual dining restaurant committed to offering high quality menu items, on-site microbrewed beer and knowledgeable team style service in a relaxed atmosphere. Largest microbrewery concept in the United States.

Hops Food:
Diverse menu selections featuring marinated and seasoned steaks, chicken, chops, smoked pork ribs, fresh seafood and homemade sauces, salad dressings and desserts.

Guest Favorites:
Hops Walker's Wood Shrimp appetizer featuring jumbo shrimp topped with Hops unique Walker's Wood sauce; Jamaican Top Sirloin, a center cut sirloin marinated for 72 hours in a blend of pineapple, soy and ginger; Warm honey butter croissants; Hops homemade Key Lime Pie that blends a tangy custard center with a sweet graham cracker crust.

Microbrewed Beers:
Four signature beers served consistently at all Hops locations. Clearwater Light, a low calorie light beer; Lightning Bold Gold, a classic American lager-style beer; Hammerhead/Thoroughbred Red, a medium bodied amber ale; Alligator Ale, a rich, full bodied mahogany colored beer. Hops also features four seasonal beers available for limited times throughout the year.

Interior:
Dark colored wood and brick in a warm, rustic setting. Carpet throughout most of the dining rooms provides guests with reduced background noise. Booth seating helps to create a private atmosphere. The glass-encased, working brewery with large copper and steel kettles separates the smoking and non-smoking dining areas and the display kitchen allows the guests to view the cooking process.

Restaurant Size:
Hops Restaurant, Bar & Brewery range in size from 5,600 sq. feet and 7,000 square feet. The average restaurant seats 220 people in both the smoking and non-smoking sections. Some restaurants feature covered patios for outdoor dining.

Operating Hours:
Hops is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Average Menu Prices:
Lunch prices range between $6-$10, average dinner entrée prices are around $14.

Hops History:
Hops was founded in November of 1989 in Clearwater, FL.

Locations:
There are currently 74 Hops locations operating in 16 states.

Hops History

In 1988 an idea was conceived to combine fresh, high quality food with on-site microbrewed beer in a casual dining atmosphere. After months of planning and research, a new restaurant was constructed at the end of a shopping plaza on US 19 in Clearwater, Fl. The restaurant was named Hops Grill and Bar and featured a diverse selection of menu items to appeal to a range of classic American tastes. To complement the food, brand new copper and steel kettles were installed that were used to brew four signature beers developed by a third generation Brewmaster. The concept became an immediate success. Within three years, two more locations had opened up on both sides of the Tampa Bay. By the mid 1990's, there were thirteen Hops Grill and Bars operating within the state of Florida.

In 1996 the course of growth changed for Hops. Avado Brands, Inc. formerly known as Apple South, took an interest in the fast growing concept. In 1997 Hops was bought by Applesouth and joined their family of restaurant concepts that included Don Pablo's and Canyon Café. Hops was also a winner of the Hot Concept Award presented by Nations Restaurant News in 1997. In 1999 Hops ranked third in the nation for sales growth by a restaurant industry consulting group. Since the late 1990's, Hops Restaurant, Bar & Brewery has grown to total 74 restaurants in sixteen states.

Over the eleven years of growth, Hops has remained committed to serving only fresh, high quality ingredients and hand crafted microbrewed beer in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.