Oskar Blues to open burger eatery Feb. 1

LONGMONT – Oskar Blues Brewery will bring more burgers, along with its caps-lock intensive style, to Longmont next year.

Oskar Blues Brewery LLC announced Wednesday it will open Chuburger, its fourth Colorado restaurant, in its hometown of Longmont. The 3,500-square-foot “fast-craft-casual” eatery at 1225 Ken Pratt Blvd. is scheduled to open Feb. 1. The space formerly housed a Cajun restaurant, Catfish Curly’s.

Chuburger – called CHUBurger in Oskar Blues’ marketing materials – is the next step in the brewers’ “farm to table” initiative and will feature locally grown food, including beef from cows raised by Oskar Blues at its Hops & Heifers Farm. The restaurant shares part of its name with Old Chub, a Scottish style ale brewed by Oskar Blues.

“Chuburger’s inspiration is to serve the best and freshest locally raised and thoughtfully sourced food and craft beer – and make it fast and affordable,” chef Jason Rogers said in a press release.

Chuburger will have capacity for 112 patrons, Oskar Blues marketing director Chad Melis said.

The concept and operating plan will be a bit different than those of Oskar Blues’ other restaurants, Melis said. The menu will be smaller, beer will be served only in cans and the goal is to get patrons in and out quickly.

While Oskar Blues has become one of Colorado’s largest craft brewers and is on pace to produce 90,000 barrels in 2012, the company’s origin is in the restaurant business. Founder Dale Katechis started it as a bar and grill in Lyons in 1997 and brewed its first beer one year later.

Two restaurants, including the original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, are in Lyons. Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids is on the Diagonal Highway at Hover Street on the southwest side of Longmont. The company’s Longmont brewery also operates the Tasty Weasel Taproom.

Oskar Blues considered opening a brewpub and restaurant in Boulder’s historic depot at Boulder Junction. Last spring, the company signed a letter of intent to lease space in the depot but did not finalize a lease and decided to focus attention elsewhere.

Chuburger is being launched during a busy time for the company. It is planning to open a new brewery and tasting room in Brevard, North Carolina, in December, and recently expanded into large markets such as Chicago and Ohio.

Oskar Blues employs about 265 people and has been able to stay on top of its new endeavors, Melis said. Veterans of its existing restaurants will manage Chuburger’s launch, and the brewing and sales teams are overseeing the other expansions, he said.

“We have a great group of people that are good at handling multiple things, and that allows us to be nimble and do the things we want to do,” Melis said. “It’s cool to be able to collaborate and makes something new and exciting.”

Chuburger is being designed by Trapp Associates Ltd., an international restaurant, retail and brewery design company.

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