Surcharge Vs. Raising Prices

A few months ago we decided to implement a 5% surcharge and the response has run the gamut. I recognize this is not a one size fits all approach and I too am a bit conflicted by it. 

Having owned a Seattle restaurant for ten years now, things have drastically changed, especially post pandemic. Cost of goods have increased in some categories 6-20%, personnel costs have gone up 20%, credit card fees have increased annually, and data is showing that dining out nationwide is down 11%.

It's not all the pandemic's fault. Our industry has been vulnerable for decades. As a general rule, one third of a restaurant's revenue is allocated to inventory (like food & beverage), another third is to labor expenses, and the final third to cover things like rent, utilities, etc. Once all expenses are paid, if we're lucky, restaurants are typically left with a 2-6% in net profit. That does not take into account maintenance fees or bank loans.

Our industry has always struggled with charging the true cost to justify all of the above. There's no great way to make the math work, no matter what business model is implemented and we've always stood by our employees. I've also been observant with other industries imposing similar fees: pizza delivery, concert tickets, electrician, car/oil changes, ATM fees, Uber/Lyft, and DoorDash. It's starting to be more commonplace.

Some guests have asked us to simply “raise the prices” and sadly that model is also flawed because we’re getting the same percentage of credit card and transaction fees taken out, but now, the credit card companies are getting more because we raised our prices. In order to cover the costs associated we’d have to raise our prices by at least 10% or more vs. the 5% surcharge. Not to mention the guest is likely tipping on that increase as well. We always want to deliver on a ratio of quality:value and feel the best bang for your wallet is the least expensive approach. 

Please know that I and every restaurant owner I know are honest and hard working! We care about the money you spend with us in order to take care of our teams and supported vendors we employ. 

A Few More Precautions

The governor has set new restrictions on indoor gatherings to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Effective Wednesday, November 18th, no guests will be able to dine inside our restaurant.

The new restrictions on restaurants are:

• Indoor dining will not be allowed

• To-go/delivery/curbside pick-up/drive-thru for restaurants will still be allowed

• Outdoor dining is still allowed

• Maximum table size for outdoor dining will be five guests

• These will be statewide and in effect until Dec. 14

Washington restaurants have a different story than the rest of the country. We have worked closely with the Governor's office and public health throughout the pandemic to ensure our industry is safe with the right set of regulations. Fewer than one-half of one percent of cases are traced to restaurants.

What does this mean for us moving forward?

 Red Arrow Coffee

• Thankfully, not too much will change from regular operations

• Our heated and covered patio allows for us to continue business as usual

• All our delicious food offerings are available for enjoyment outside, to-go and can be ordered online as much as two weeks in advance.

Brimmer & Heeltap

• We will halt all inside dining after this evenings service

• Our covered & heated patio will continue with “normal” dinner service Thursday-Sunday from 5-9 pm. Reservations highly recommended.

• We only have six tables and will impose 90-minute table limits. We do not want you to feel rushed and can course things out so that it still feels relaxed and enjoyable.

• Raclette will continue each Sunday alongside our regular dinner menu. You must make a special reservation for this to guarantee a platter.

• All our delicious food offerings are available for enjoyment outside, to-go and can be ordered online as much as two weeks in advance. Cocktails & wine included!

• We are adding a stock your bar section if you need any additional goodies for your home cocktail making recipes. You can swing by and purchase to-go or order online.

• Our annual eggnog release is scheduled for Friday, November 27th from 3-5 pm. We have three boozy flavors: classic, espresso, turmeric-ginger. 750 ml bottles will be sold that day and we’ll also have some to enjoy in the coffee shop or in small vessels to-go. 750 ml bottles will be $45 each and can be reserved by emailing jen@brimmerandheeltap.com. Supplies limited!

• Temperatures continue to be taken and hand sanitizer upon entry

My goal is to keep our existing team employed during this setback. Your support with take-out, wine & cheese clubs, gift cards, and virtual hugs means the world to us.

The only option is for us to make it on the other side of this pandemic because community is our everything. To say that it has been a devastating year for our industry is an understatement.

Because of the impact on the community at large, please consider supporting the virtual event hosted by the Ballard Food Bank. They provide food to families, elderly and those vulnerable. Due to the pandemic, their need has doubled! A fun & easy way to support is to join in this year’s Turkey Trot. Sign up by clicking here.

As always, know that we’re thinking of you & your families and wishing you the very best in these uncertain times.

Much love & appreciation,

Jen & team

WHAT IS THE NEW NORMAL?

We greatly appreciate your support these last few months as we put pause on “normal” service. Your support infused a heap of hope and a pinch of bandwidth at a crucial fork in the road for our operations. While we cannot look too far into the future, we are actively working on what can we safely offer our team and guests right now.

Laying off an entire team, turning out the lights, saying goodbye to guests, and every other detail associated has been penned by some of the greatest chefs and restaurateurs around the globe. These emotional accounts have helped raise awareness to the fragility of our industry and vital role we play in our communities.

Navigating this safely and being here for the long haul is our highest priority.  In doing so, we have some house guidelines & reminders:

-2 hour curfew on all tables.

-A party of 5 is the largest table we will accommodate and we only have about 10 tables total in house to keep you safely distanced. Only one table currently inside is available, everything else is in the garden and under our covered patio.

-You must wear your mask in common areas at all time. Seated at your tables, masks are optional.

-Our sanitizing solution is changed roughly every two hours to maximize efficiency. Hand sanitizer is found in all bathrooms and studio.

-To limit contact, no morning table service is offered - come find us if you need anything.

- We have contactless payment options and will soon have same-day online orders

-Bus your own tables in the morning, that includes putting your napkins in the compost.

Scroll down to see more about our wine club, coffee shop, and dinner service.

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A Monthly Wine Club

Our wine club is still going strong and such a fun way to drink new wines from around the world. These wines come from real farmers, not factories and from earth that is nurtured not exploited. The wine is affordable and delicious! Cheap and cheerful has its place, but doesn’t great wine that you look forward to drinking sound better? I seek wines that excite me, and I want to share that feeling with you! Click here to learn more.

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A Coffee Shop

Our Red Arrow Coffee & morning café is open 7 days a week from 7 am - 1 pm! We teamed up with Caffe Umbria to bring you delicious pulled espresso drinks in our garden setting. In addition, we’ve added morning bakers creating fresh scones, muffins, cookies, and cake to accompany the morning brew. Need something other than coffee? We also offer wine by the glass, draft beer and kombucha, shrubs, and even a boozy shot added to your coffee or tea. Our menu is modest with housemade ricotta, our beloved bread, a gorgeous garden salad, and a few sandwiches. I recently caught up with Seattle Refined to talk shop with the opening. Click here to read the entire article. 

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Dinner is coming!

Dinner is on the horizon! Starting August 6th we will add evening hours Thursday-Sunday from 4-9 pm. Because we only have 10 tables and limited seating, we will start on a first come, first serve basis. Eventually, we will add a few tables for reservations.

While we still strive for a fun and bold menu, most old dishes are no longer. A bi-product of the current times, we have gone from a four-person cooking team, to one. We designed this to offer a variety of flavors and options while staying true to our mission of flavor. Here’s a teaser of a few items you can look forward to enjoying…

Fingerling Potatoes  - charred green onion pistou, fresh mozzarella, pickled peppers

Heirloom Tomato Salad - house ricotta, basil, balsamic, lemon EVOO, house crouton

Lacquered Bacon - caramelized onion dip

Albacore Tuna Crudo - lemon cucumber

Confit Chicken - drumsticks, salsa verde, shaved zucchini salad

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Until our paths cross, please know how much we appreciate your patronage, kind words, and trust. Without you, none of this is possible.

Sincerely yours,

Jen

Times are changing and so are we.

With the weight of the world swirling around us these days, I’d like to offer a little respite into the power of community by harnessing a few creative forms of connection. There is not a clear path or understanding of when we can re-open as a full-service restaurant. So, in the meantime, we’re going to do things a little differently. First up…

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A Monthly Wine Club

Photo by Will Foster

Our food may be off the table for now, but great wine doesn’t have to be! While you’ve got other fish to fry at home (maybe literally), we can help by bringing some of our favorites to you. Hosting a Zoom happy hour? Looking for the perfect wine pairing for your home-cooked masterpiece? Want to brighten a special someone’s day?

I seek wines that excite me, and I want to share that feeling with you! Click here if you’d like to learn more and join.

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A Coffee Shop

Photo by Jarek Ceborski

We have a beautiful building filled with decades of rich history serving the region around us. Looking back to the late 1800’s, this corner held a general store, followed by a grocery store, and a French-inspired restaurant.

Starting in mid-May we will add another service to our repertoire. Wander through the garden gates, 7 days a week, from 7 am – 2 pm to our little studio to find us pulling espresso and serving up a cup of joe in a quaint, fast & casual coffee shop.

Stay tuned for more information and look for signs pointing to Red Arrow Coffee.

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Beyond Our Walls

Photo by Ron Smith

You have all be so supportive to us over the years and our hospitality industry has suffered a major blow with COVID-19. Thousands of restaurant workers have lost their jobs and need our help.

If you are in a position to consider helping above and beyond what you already do, here are a couple of amazing options.

The Plate Fund created by the Schultz Family Foundation delivers one-time cash payments of $500 to impacted restaurant staff in King-County within 48-hours. Please click here to donate or learn more.

The James Beard Foundation is a widely respected non-profit organization that is launching a fund that will be gathering support from corporate, foundation, and individual donors to provide micro-grants to independent food and beverage businesses in need. Please click here to donate or learn more.

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As always, thank you for the motivation to keep improving and evolving. I miss everyone so much and cannot wait to get back into some routine of business as we knew it.

Stay safe and connected!

What's ahead...

We want to be there for you when this passes!

In gratitude and hope!

Dear beloved diners,

Thank you for your continued patronage from inception to temporary suspension. There has been such an incredible exchange of life happenings during this time, we cannot put into words the appreciation we have for your love, trust and support.

We have officially entered into a new chapter. This one is filled with more than a pinch of uncertainty and opportunity. Our valued team members are among the strongest in the industry, yet these fine people are vulnerable. While taking a break is deserved for the exceptional hard work they put in day after day, it won’t pay the bills. The stress from this break may also cause irrefutable damages that will have lasting consequences. We are doing everything in our power to mitigate this.

It is not prudent for us to attempt a long-term take-out model during this mandated shut-down. In order to get to the other side, we need to conserve resources and be ready to bounce back as you know us.

So what’s next and how might you help?

• We have product we’d like to sell. Starting Wednesday at 4 pm we’re going to sell items to-go until we run out. That includes beer (bring your growlers), wine, and our delicious menu.

• We will continue to sell gift cards on our website. For those wanting to pick up cards vs. mail them, leave that in the instructions and we’ll add the value of the shipping & handling fee to the gift card.

• We have also set up a GoFundMe page to help lessen the blow to members of our team and to ensure we’re here on the other side of this unpresented turn of events.

Our goal has and always will be about community. We rely on each other for respite and celebration. For now, we’ll have to get a little creative in our connections until we’re greeting you at the front door with a hug.

Thank you so much for any help you can provide!

Yours truly,

Jen

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Brimmer & Heeltap Q&A with AM Sous Chef Angela Ortez-Davis

We started brunch on Mother’s Day weekend two years ago. Since then, we have enjoyed serving hungry diners an evolving menu inspired with full flavors and regional influences. One of the people so instrumental to its success is our AM Sous Chef, Angela Ortez-Davis.

Originally from Los Angeles, Angela moved to Seattle back in 2004 to get her undergraduate degree at Seattle University in Political Science and Latin American Studies. According to her, culinary school was a way to avoid graduate school.

We couldn’t be more delighted to have this intelligent, kind, and resourceful chef as a part of our team!

When asked about her influences, she was quick to acknowledge her roots: “A great deal of my upbringing influences me today. My mom is chef from Mexico who taught me about art and food. My dad is a mechanical engineer from El Salvador who taught me about history and work ethic. Both of them are activists who instilled social justice values in my siblings and me. I’m also influenced by where I grew up. I love Los Angeles! Living in such a diverse and multifaceted place always kept me hungry for more. There’s always something new to try, some new way to live that I hadn’t considered. I feel like that same restlessness keeps me motivated.”

A few of her newest menu additions include:

Housemade Granola, (pro tip: get it to-go) made with steel cut oats, coconut flakes, pepitas, dried cranberries, chia seeds, butter, honey, brown sugar, and nutmeg. She accompanies this with house made yogurt. Morning brain power people!

Greens, Egg & Ham, (Jen’s personal favorite thing on the menu) made with lentil, spinach, sunny-side egg, lardon, bacon fat vinaigrette, citrus-herb crema.

When Angela isn’t working, she’s likely cooking for her husband, playing pinball, or eating out with friends.

We were curious what her favorite menu items are right now and here’s the inside scoop…

“For dinner, I love the beef cheeks with masa gnocchi. That texture reminds me of a beef tamal , but feels fresh and new at the same time! Swoon.

On the brunch side, our Scotch Egg is pretty special. I think it’s a true example of how collaborative our kitchen is. The dish kept evolving and I love where it is right now. Rather than a traditional caraway profile, we have house made green chorizo in our Scotch Egg. It’s served on a thick slice of brioche, toad-in-the-hole style. Then it’s topped with rotating pickled vegetables, pickled mustard seeds and a delicious sorghum demiglace. A lot of love goes into that dish and it’s so much more than the sum of its parts.”

What changes can we expect to see next on the menu? She’s looking forward to the summertime bounty of corn and peppers, not to mention preserving them for our pantry.

I think it’s safe to say a few of us are excited about that too!

Thanks to all of you for making our brunch so worthwhile for us to cook and take care of you on weekend mornings!

Author: Jen Doak

Images: Will Foster

Ballard Food Bank

A number of years ago, while Brimmer & Heeltap was still a concept, I wanted to incorporate more volunteering into my schedule. The Ballard Food Bank was appealing to me for their desire and ability to help the community around me.

On my first official day however, I was not prepared to feel the impact of their efforts quite so profoundly. Just down the street from their main location on 70th and 24th, a nearby church let them use their basement to ensure that folks who needed to receive food during non-working hours had a place to go. This pop-up food bank met the needs of our neighbors during the 2008 economic down-turn.

Hunched near the arranged tables, I spotted a senior neighbor of mine rummaging through one of the apple bins. If he recognized me, he never acknowledged it and I still feel a lump of emotion in my throat when I think about him. I didn’t want to embarrass him by acknowledging his need and I felt awful for trying to avoid contact in that moment.

Living where we do, it might be easy to assume how much abundance is at our fingertips. Sadly the growth of any region can have negative impacts on those around us. Rising rents, utilities, property taxes, and general living expenses lend to the needs of these clients. The Ballard Food Bank alone serves over 1,200 people a week throughout Ballard, Magnolia, and Queen Anne, thirty two percent of which are seniors and eleven percent are children.

With our help, their offerings include:

• A healthy assortment of groceries and hygiene supplies in a welcoming environment
• Home delivery service of groceries to elderly and/or disabled clients
• Cooking demos during food bank hours, featured recipes, and cooking classes
• Emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, identification cards, and mailbox services
• Connection with local schools (elementary, middle, and high schools) to provide weekend food for students who are food insecure 

On Thanksgiving morning, Brimmer & Heeltap will have a team in the annual Turkey Trot. Some of our crew, regulars, and friends, will unite to help raise awareness and funds for those in need.

The Turkey Trot is the largest annual fundraiser for the Ballard Food Bank and we ask you to please consider donating or joining our team. Any contribution is so greatly appreciated.

To make a contribution to our team please click here.

To join our please team click here.

In gratitude,

Jen

What's Shakin' Bacon?

Mmmmm...bacon! | Photo by Will Foster

It's hard to believe that it's been an entire year since we started serving brunch to our wonderful Ballard community. Time flies when you're having fun (and noshing on amazing food), right? We've made so many new friends this year; from families with hungry little ones to folks who normally work nights but trek over on weekend mornings for a delicious meal, we've delighted in getting to know all of our new regulars. 

A lot has changed since we first opened our doors for brunch. (Goodbye oxtail soup and hello ramen loco moco!) Our current menu features glorious, homemade slabs of bacon and pork loin, French toast with tart cherries and luscious lemon curd, and homemade ricotta accompanied by grilled bread and seasonal fruit. We're also happily serving menu favorites like Chef's hot puffed black rice with mango and warm, sweet coconut milk, and the b-e-s-t Belgian waffles you've ever tasted. That's right, we said it! 

We've got a special family-style menu that we offer to large groups of people to encourage breaking bread with the ones you love. This menu features larger, shareable plates of waffles, beautiful ricotta and fruit, scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and cheese, and other delicious offerings. 

We're always enthusiastically slinging classic brunch cocktails as well as inventive and fresh tiki-inspired drinks. Our brunch bartender Kyle also creates a daily cocktail special intended to pair perfectly with your meal. Make sure to ask your server about the special cocktail of the day, or better yet, pull up a seat at the bar and nerd out on spirits with Kyle. 

If it's been a little while since you've been in to dine with us for brunch, chances are there are many new menu items to try on your next visit! Tart and sweet berries, stone fruit, deliciously juicy heirloom tomatoes, lovingly-prepared pork loin, creamy mascarpone grits, and a garden's worth of beautifully fresh herbs are all having a moment on our ever-changing, seasonally-inspired brunch menu. Even our cocktail program has experienced a springtime revamp, with more than your average mimosa or Bloody Mary to accompany your rich, hearty breakfast.

Come in soon to grab a seat on the patio and start your weekend morning off with delicious food, genuinely friendly service, and a gorgeous setting. 

Author: Caitlyn Edson

Images: Jazzlyn Stone  & Will Foster

Green is the Word

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” – Harriet Ann Jacobs

It never ceases to amaze us just how spectacularly green Seattle is this time of year. I guess that’s one of the upsides of living in such a rainy place. The garden at the restaurant is overflowing with an abundance of dreamy, cascading flora; it seems as if something new blossoms each day. Our West Woodland neighborhood looks lush and renewed, and more and more of our neighbors cruise by us on their bicycles and with many a happy dog in tow.  

We love this magical time of year and the bounty of fresh ingredients it brings to us to experiment with and taste. Once again our menu mirrors the emerald-hued city just beyond our front door, a thing we’ve come to love about the emergence of spring. Fresh herbs, along with foraged and found goodies from Washington’s literal backyard and our own garden, have truly brought our seasonally-inspired menu to life. As American author Harriet Ann Jacobs observes, we are indeed beginning to feel revived after such a long winter.

Creamed nettles with miso, glass noodles, and green garlic. 

Our spring salad features fiddlehead ferns, peas, pickled ramps, mustard seeds, and opal basil, among other green goodies. 

It makes us so happy when the dishes we serve are able to surprise our guests in some way. Many people don’t know that nettles, which have a somewhat short season here in Washington, are actually edible and not just pesky, prickly wild greens. Similarly, the gorgeous fiddlehead ferns we’ve been adding to our daily-changing spring salad have brought many a smile to the faces of people who never considered noshing on these tasty plants.

Our delicious prawn salad. 

Our prawn salad, prepared with herb oil, pickled chiles, pistachios, and green Szechuan peppercorn, is one of our menu standouts right now. This dish is unbelievably fresh, bright, and contains a multitude of textures that absolutely sing when enjoyed together.

Perhaps one of the things that makes springtime so beloved is the fact that it’s a fleeting time. Ingredients like our foraged nettles, ramps, and fiddleheads won’t be around for too much longer; come in soon and let them revive you.

Author: Caitlyn Edson

Images: Will Foster Photography

A Season of Fresh Flavors and Tiki Concoctions at Brimmer & Heeltap

If April brought us rain showers (and Seattleites can all attest that it did), here’s to hoping the rest of May brings all kinds of colorful flora, sunshine, and patio season vibes. We’re all restless for nights spent out in the garden and around the fire pit; we look forward to sharing many of these with you in the coming months. Read on for a little peek at how we’ve been gearing up for the wondrous spring and summer months ahead.

At B&H, there’s a level of playfulness in everything we do. We have a lot of fun concocting new drinks and testing ingredients for new dishes that our guests get to experience, after all. Our talented bar team is definitely embracing a lighthearted approach to building drinks right now; Kate and Brian have been hard at work concocting tiki-inspired cocktails for our brunch guests.

B&H Bar Manager Brian Hibbard predicts that 2017 will be a year where we see more tropical drinks in general, predicting that “more rum, more tiki, more pineapple, and more drinks that make you start empathizing with those who wear Tommy Bahama” will be on trend in the coming months. Bartender Kate Mcmahon happily agrees, explaining that she was first drawn to tropical flavors as a way to escape Seattle’s drizzly winter vibes. “I think it was me trying to escape winter somehow and imagining myself on a tropical beach somewhere, anywhere, sipping island booze and feeling so relaxed – and wanting others to feel that way,” she says.

The next time you come in for brunch be sure to try Ape of My Eye, a riff on a tiki classic made with rum, banana liqueur, cinnamon, and fire.

In the kitchen, spring flavors have taken hold and many dishes boast beautiful, delicious ingredients native to the Pacific Northwest. Our spring salad changes nearly every week depending on what foraged goodies Foraged and Found brings to us. Nettles, maple blossoms, miners lettuce, peas, opal basil, fiddlehead ferns, and other wild greens are making Chef’s seasonally-inspired dishes sing right now.

Chef’s spicy beef rib features a fantastic homemade bbq sauce, falling-off-the-bone-tender meat, and a bright and satisfying accompaniment of kale slaw with pickled cipollini onions. The culinary team brines these beautiful Painted Hills beef ribs for twelve hours, slow cooks them lovingly for about 8 more hours, before finishing this beautiful piece of meat on the grill. You have to be willing to get just a little bit messy when sharing this dish with friends and family. It’s bbq done the B&H way, with tons of flavor and care.

Although our food offerings change constantly, Chef Mike vowed long ago to keep his beloved steak tartare on as a menu mainstay. We’re happy to share that this already delicious snack has been elevated further with help from some seriously creative culinary efforts. The steak tartare you know and love is now topped with grated egg yolk that has been soy-cured and dehydrated, adding layers of umami flavor to this excellent dish.

Freshness is paramount during springtime in Seattle kitchens, and ours has so many gorgeous seasonal offerings for you to delight in. Tapioca puff chips dusted with a blend of dehydrated nettles, poblano peppers, carrot tops and garlic bring a zesty, crave-worthy edge to our snack list. Asian pear, beets, marinated root vegetables, and huckleberries are incorporated lovingly into many a dish. Come in soon to taste something new and unexpected!

It’s our sincere pleasure to serve you no matter what the season, but we can all agree that B&H feels extra magical this time of year. We look so forward to your next visit.

Author: Caitlyn Edson

Images: Will Foster