TAG | new years
Well, the first of the year is always a good time to reflect on the past, anticipate the future, and drink slightly too much cheap champagne out of those flimsy plastic saucers.
We have nothing to say about your choice of beverage or its vessel, but we would like to talk a little today about what we saw in 2010 and what we hope to see in 2011.
Of course, most notable for Ian’s in 2010 was the arrival of our Milwaukee restaurant on New Year’s Eve 2009. We’re happy to report that it just celebrated its one-year birthday and is fast becoming a bartime staple in Eastside Milwaukee. You closed Wolski’s and then what did you do? You went to Ian’s…
Chicago made it their goal in 2010 to attend seemingly every Chicagoland summer event armed with stickers. If you went to any music/gay pride/music & gay pride festival this past summer and did not get accosted by a rowdy group of Ian’s employees wielding stickers, you may want to check — you might not have made it to the festival after all, but were just wandering through crowded city streets.
Ian’s Pizza Madison 2010 Eating Contest, bigger and better than ever, went flawlessly, even though gale-force winds threatened to blow the band (The Big Payback) and the Comedy Club on State emcees right off the stage.
The second annual Mustaches for Kids fundraising event at all our Wisconsin restaurants also became a great example of what can be accomplished with unfettered facial hair. In addition to raising some customers’ eyebrows due to a shaggy-looking counter crew — and raising a few pints at our weekly check-ins — we also raised $2,375 for the Wisconsin Make-a-Wish Foundation.
As we look forward to 2011, we’re working to improve not only the food, but the look of all our restaurants.
Ian’s Wrigleyville was closed for a week during the holidays to get a new coat of paint, paneling, and other upgrades, while the original Ian’s on Frances Street in Madison remodeled over the summer and ended up with a shiny new salad station. Ian’s Pizza on State would like to finish remodeling the empty space at 111 State Street, turning it into a cozy little room for music, wine, beer, and meetings (but that will definitely be a year-long project).
As for the food (let’s not forget about the food!) we’re looking forward to a new year of new specials — and some old favorites — and we’re adding a monthly salad special to our regular line-up of delicious offerings. In Wisconsin we’ll also be changing how our specials run — instead of Seasonal Specials that run three for three months at a time, they’ll now get switched up monthly and make an appearance a couple times throughout the year. Our weekly specials will continue on, of course, offering a limited run of some really excellent slices.
As always, we’re open to feedback about what you’d like to see, or not see, how we could improve, or how we already rock your world.
Here’s to the best year ever!
