Situated on about an acre approximately 10 miles west of town, O’Bryan’s Bar and Grill is for sale. The more than 2,700-square foot establishment with an additional 1,600-square foot covered patio is listed for $249,900 with Kurtz Auction and Realty.
Purchased by Eric Ashworth during the fall of 2019, the bar has undergone several cosmetic renovations, most notably turned the patio into an enclosed and heated space. Ashworth also added upgrades to the kitchen and enhanced the menu with higher-quality food.
“I was able to manage the business for six months before purchasing it,” Ashworth said. “I knew that there were some cosmetic and financial needs but it definitely had potential. My first step was the food quality, I wanted to make sure that we were offering a good product.”
In less than two years, O’Bryan’s began yielding profits previously deemed “unimaginable.” They were most recently crowned Owensboro’s Burger Week champion with their Double Bacon Mozzarella Cheese Stick Burger, defeating more than 23 other participating restaurants in Daviess County.
Ashworth added that there is already an established staff, many of which hope to remain in the business.
“We have a veteran and experienced staff, several of which are full-time servers while others pick up shifts on the side,” he said. “They are trustworthy … I’m blessed in that manner, it’s allowed me to take off at times because I can trust them.”
He also alluded to the dedicated and loyal customer base that eased the burden of the pandemic.
“We had to adjust our business model, but the community support was overwhelming, especially after we won burger week. I was reluctant to even sign up, but it was an absolute gamechanger, from people coming in during the contest to the huge peak in sales right after we won,” he said. “Friday nights continue to be our biggest night of the week … the fish fries on Friday during Lent allowed us to thrive during the pandemic.”
Downtimes during the pandemic afforded Ashworth and his crew opportunities to improve the inside of the building. They painted the walls, installed new booths, improved the bar, and added vinyl panels to the patio so it could be enclosed during the winter.
As restrictions lessened during the early spring, more people began getting out and Ashworth was forced to adjust his business model yet again. He had to stop taking to-go orders in the afternoon on certain days because of the influx of dine-in patrons.
The new owner will also acquire the entire LLC, kitchen appliances, televisions, inventory, and more. Their most recent upgrade includes a “Bottoms Up” beer tap where draft beer fills up a glass from the bottom up, limiting both foam and waste.
“This is a turn-key bar where the profit is already built into the price,” said realtor Joseph Mills. “Eric’s bookkeeping is impeccable. He took a struggling business and revamped it, all while navigating through a pandemic.”
Mills and Ashworth also added that there are other potential revenue streams for the bar and grill that haven’t been tapped into yet. Though they’ve traditionally been closed on Sunday, they both mentioned NFL Sunday Ticket and a Sunday brunch as excellent opportunities.
Ashworth set a goal to turn the business around by getting it in financial shape and enhancing it cosmetically. As he moves in a different direction with his life, he said he can take pride in knowing that he accomplished what he sought out to do with O’Bryan’s Bar and Grill.
“I wanted to get this place in financial shape and improve it cosmetically, and we’ve done that,” he said. “There is still room for improvement, but it’s definitely thriving.”
For more information on O’Bryan’s Bar and Grill or to inquire about purchasing it, contact Mills at 270-903-9641.
