BAR TOUR
BAR TOUR
BY ELYSE GLICKMAN
I THE BREWERY LBK | THE WEST TABLE KITCHEN & BAR All Photos: The West Family Hospitality Group.
LUBBOCK, TX
Multitasking, crosspromoting, and quick thinking shows how this “West” was won.
barbizmag.com
t’s pretty apt that a triad of trendsetting restaurants owned and operated by the West Family Hospitality Group—fine dining/craft cocktail hub The West Table Kitchen & Bar, The Brewery LBK, and The Coffee Shop—occupy the ground floor of the historic Pioneer Condominium building. Founders Cameron and Rachel West first laid down stakes six years ago with the opening of The West Table in the once sleepy city center. As they introduced global culinary flair and a big city-style cocktail presence to the small-town dining scene, they did it with the intention of doing their part to revitalize Lubbock, Texas’ downtown area in the process. “For years, Lubbock was a barren landscape, with restaurateurs, bar, and brewery entrepreneurs starting businesses closer to the Texas Tech campus and other newer developments,” explains General Manager/Partner Mike Nghiem, who joined forces with the Wests four years ago. “A push from the local government to invigorate downtown, however, inspired us to be a part of that effort. The West Table was one of the first chef-driven restaurants
that set out to actively participate in downtown Lubbock’s revitalization, and became a hit because of its seasonal menu and cocktail program.” Six years later, The West Table’s openconcept kitchen, internationally influenced American menu, and mid-century chic décor succeed in spurring more downtown traffic, and by extension, roping in more creative restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to keep the momentum building downtown. That momentum includes the opening of the more casual but equally innovative The Brewery LBK in May 2018. “There were three spaces for three restaurants on the lobby level, and we wanted to create something with the third spot that would have a synergy with The West Table and the coffee shop,” says Nghiem. As a self-confessed “beer nerd,” Ngheim was confident that a brew pub with great food was something that was missing from the Lubbock scene, even with a few excellent breweries in the Arts District and near the Texas Tech campus. However, as the beer scene had not grown as exponentially as it had in other cities, LBK opened its doors with a mission of
October/November 2020
Bar Business Magazine
35
