{"id":9367,"date":"2019-04-17T21:19:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T01:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=9367"},"modified":"2019-04-17T21:19:48","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T01:19:48","slug":"fostering-a-tasty-meal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/fostering-a-tasty-meal\/","title":{"rendered":"Fostering a tasty meal"},"content":{"rendered":"

A fresh makeover for Foster\u2019s Grille<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a whole lot of new happening at Foster\u2019s Grille in Warrenton. Fortunately, it won\u2019t include tinkering with its popular menu. It\u2019s hard to amplify on a winner.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s especially true considering several hundred thousand burgers have been enjoyed by customers since the restaurant opened twenty years ago.<\/p>\n

But after April 5 customers walking through the doors of the town\u2019s burger icon, located on Broadview Avenue near the Route 211 intersection, will be treated to an entirely new d\u00e9cor.<\/p>\n

After two decades of serving lunch and dinners to the hungry of Fauquier County and beyond, the restaurant has whole a new look.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a need to refresh. We\u2019ve done a complete gutting of the entire restaurant so everything visible to the public has been changed. New walls, floors, order bar and restrooms. New signage will be on the outside of the building by mid-April,\u201d said Mike Cerny, President of Foster\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The building was built 60 years ago and was originally a Howard Johnson\u2019s. That chain was established in 1954 and at its height in the 1970s had more than 1,000 company-owned and franchise outlets in the Nation. Fosters is located on hallowed ground.<\/p>\n

Cerny has guided the success of the company for the last 16 of its 20 years from his offices in Haymarket. Today there are 12 restaurants scattered across Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and one in Florida, which is good to know if you need a \u201cFoster\u2019s Fix\u201d while on vacation.<\/p>\n

Seven of the eateries are corporate-owned and five owned by franchisees. Cerny has been in the food distribution and hotel business in the mid-Atlantic region for over three decades. The Warrenton restaurant was the first to be established. Customers dining there are breaking bread where its success began.<\/p>\n

The purpose of the interior sprucing up was to create a, \u201cvery comfortable ambiance for family and friends,\u201d explained Cerny.<\/p>\n

Included in the renovation is a private dining room with an 80-inch television screen that can be reserved for business or family functions. Guests can order food and then relax in the privacy of their own dining area.<\/p>\n

The restaurant seats 110 inside with a front patio seating for 40, which is the largest outside dining area of all its restaurants. It will be increasingly popular with the coming balmy spring days.<\/p>\n

The menu<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>\"\"To scan the menu at Foster\u2019s is to understand why its lineup was not toyed with. From its ever-popular charburger to veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches, all beef hot dogs, fish and chips, turkey burgers, chicken wings, fries, onion rings, and salads, the menu has depth.<\/p>\n

Deciding what to order will be your biggest in-house challenge.<\/p>\n

In addition to assorted fountain drinks, another house specialty is hand-scooped milkshakes. \u201cWe hand scoop and blend the shakes ourselves,\u201d said Cerny.<\/p>\n

In a nod to Virginia\u2019s artisan libation industry, local craft beer and wines are available.<\/p>\n

Cerny underscores, \u201cEverything is fresh and made to order. \u201cThere are no microwaves and no heat lamps. Nothing is pre-cooked. We do not start preparing the order until it is placed by the customer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a fast food restaurant. It might take a few minutes longer to reach your table but you\u2019ll get a freshly cooked meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

When guests enter the restaurant, they place their food order at the counter, secure drinks and take their seats. The food arrives at their table straight from the kitchen within 12 minutes or less.<\/p>\n

If time is of the essence, download load its app on your smartphone and order online. \u201cIt\u2019s a great feature for families at ball games or soccer practice. They can order their dinner as the leave the park and we\u2019ll have it ready when they arrive,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s available at all our restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you want Foster\u2019s to cover a family or business event, catering is integral to the business too. \u201cWe can bring our mobile 10-foot grill, tents, and everything that goes with an offsite event. We\u2019ve prepared food for schools, businesses and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community citizenship<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Over the years it\u2019s more than good food Foster\u2019s as provided Fauquier County. Cerny is a strong believer in contributing to the community. \u201cWe do a lot of sponsorships and support school teams in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also been involved in Dining for Dollars fundraisers for worthy causes.\u201d \u00a0When customers attend a Dining for Dollars event and mention or present a fundraiser flyer, up to 25 percent of their dine-in, or carry out net sales check is donated back to the participating non-profit organization.<\/p>\n

Cerny is also proud of the support his company gives local contractors. The extensive renovations made to the restaurant have been completely done by Warrenton based firms.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy architect, electrician, plumber, security company and signage company are all local businesses. I don\u2019t know how many people can say that. And all of the work has been done on schedule too.\u201d<\/p>\n

If all this sounds like a successful, well-run company it explains the franchise side of the business. \u201cIf anyone is interested in belonging to a successful restaurant business, we are the one to see. We are looking to grow our franchisees.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also urges those who may not have been to the restaurant lately to come back. \u201cIt\u2019s the same great food but with a totally different look. Our regular customers are going to be in for a special treat. It is far and away a beautiful new restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n

To flip through Foster\u2019s Grille digital menu and prepare yourself for checking out its new digs, visit \u00a0https:\/\/www.fostersgrille.com\/store\/warrenton\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Published in the April 10, 2019, edition of the Fauquier Times.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A fresh makeover for Foster\u2019s Grille There\u2019s a whole lot of new happening at Foster\u2019s Grille in Warrenton. Fortunately, it won\u2019t include tinkering with its popular menu. It\u2019s hard to amplify on a winner. That\u2019s especially true considering several hundred thousand burgers have been enjoyed by customers since the restaurant opened twenty years ago. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[1023],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n