IN THE NEWS!
Nation’s Restaurant News - 100 Under 100: Emerging restaurant chains that are thriving in the U.S.
Thirsty Lion Gastropub is a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based pub with 12 locations in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas. Most locations have more than one bar, televisions, and a patio. The menu features traditional pub fare, including burgers, fish and chips, tacos, and more. The chain was founded and is owned by CEG Hospitality, which also owns eatertainment brand Grand Central Bowling & Arcade in Portland, Ore. – LAZ
July 2024
These 12 Dallas restaurants nail outdoor dining!
From a recent OpenTable article, our Grandscape location has earned one of the top 12 best patio dining experiences in Dallas, Texas! Read the full article below.
April 2023
Thirsty Lion Shows Off Most Elaborate Restaurant Design Yet
Sixteen years ago, John Plew founded craft-forward Thirsty Lion Gastropub in Portland, Oregon, a city where bigger restaurants like Chili’s and Macaroni Grill don’t typically survive.
In the time since, the restaurateur has scaled his anti-chain, urban concept to suburbs across the country, but none have been as elaborate as the recent opening in The Colony, Texas, which is about 30 minutes north of Dallas.
August 2022
Be Local Magazine- Fall 2022 issue
“Eat Like a Local” - Thirsty Lion Gastropub with four valley locations features a scratch kitchen, craft cocktails, and a large selection of draft beer, seasonal menus, and sports. The Desert Ridge location boasts an expansive outdoor patio with plenty of shade and fireside table options. Guests can choose from signature menu items including traditional Scotch Eggs, Oven Baked Soft Pretzel, Pork Carnitas Salad Bowl, the French Dip Sandwich, the Gastropub Burger, Spicy Sausage Mac, I.P.A. Beer Battered Fish and Chips, Grilled Atlantic Salmon and more!
Fall 2022
Next-Gen Brands: Thirsty Lion Retools for the Future
“When Concept Entertainment Group halted dive-in service at its Thirsty Lion locations due to the pandemic, it pivoted to create an online food hall concept called Central Kitchen to house online dining concepts of different genres integrated within Thirsty Lion’s kitchens — allowing customers to order a variety of food via third-party delivery and pickup.
Congratulations! Concept Entertainment Group has been chosen as a winner for the Industry Hero Award presented by Hospitality Technology magazine. You were incredibly deserving and we are very happy to be providing you with this award during MURTEC 2021 on April 14th at our Virtual Awards Ceremony.”
April 2020
Thirsty Lion Gastropub in Chandler Opens Online Food Hall
“Thirsty Lion Gastropub in Chandler has launched a new venture to bring different culinary experiences to customers all from one location. Central Kitchen, an online food hall, will offer takeout and delivery options from five different restaurants at the convenience of one website. Customers can choose food options from Thirsty Lion, Soy Joy, Southern Jewel, Killer Wings or Pizza and Spice. All five of the restaurants’ menus are cooked out of the Thirsty Lion’s kitchen and can be picked up at the Chandler location. Orders can also be delivered through Postmates, GrubHub, Uber Eats and DoorDash.”
Janurary 2021
14 Chains Shattering the Sports Bar Status Quo
“Thirsty Lion founder and CEO John Plew sold seven of his concepts to focus on the gastropub’s expansion. Two years ago, Plew brought on Marcie Rude as chief development officer to research potential markets and see where the brand could scale. Rude, who previously helped grow P.F. Chang’s from 30 to 150 restaurants, helped define the expansion strategy. Plew said the brand wants to double in size over the next five years or scale at a rate of 28 percent, year-over-year.”
July 2019
Thirsty Lion makes the FSR Top 50 Emerging Restaurant Brands for 2018!
“Performance and potential earned restaurants a spot among this year’s FSR 50—that, and the fact that each has a portfolio of fewer than 50 units. We’re talking emergent chains, those that have a growing presence and a penchant for progress, be it defined as menu innovation, sales growth, brand expansion, or community support. You’ll discover regional brands that have been around for decades, like Elmer’s, which opened in 1960 in Portland, Oregon, and has given birth to a new concept that it plans to develop in the Southwest. Along with brands like Snooze, which got its start just 11 years ago but has already awakened the Denver region to a heightened appreciation for polished breakfast service and exceptionally sustainable processes. For performance metrics, look to the chart on Pages 48 to 49, which details total company sales, average unit volume, number of units, and areas of operation for each of the FSR 50 brands.”
August 2018
Vimeo Channel
View cooking segments featuring Thirsty Lion chefs making seasonal dishes on local NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates.