No, it doesn't stand for the business acronym, "business to business." B2B is short for "burgers to beer," but the B2B Bistronomy, new in Nob Hill in Albuquerque, has a smart "scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" plan for attracting new customers.
Beer flight at B2B Bistronomy — Photo courtesy of edkohler
Here's the behind the scenes scoop - Micah Lobato, whose dad helped construct Turtle Mountain Brewing Company's first location (now the Fat Squirrel) in nearby Rio Rancho, is the new marketing director for B2B Bistronomy. She was adamant about getting Turtle Mountain beers into their trendy new spot in Nob Hill in Albuquerque. When she explained to owner Nico Ortiz the marketing ploy would attract new customers to his Rio Rancho locations, he was in. Turtle Mountain Brewing Company already has followers who drive from the east side to his two west side locations in Rio Rancho and up the road to the Corrales Bistro to get their fix, so why not? It made sense to bring his products to Albuquerque.
But that's not the only beer featured in this trendy new 1,700 square foot space, which seats around 50 people. There will be 34 beers featured (also New Mexico wines and champagne) to accompany your burger of choice, says owner Shan Naik, who has invested $250,000 into converting what used to be half of the mellow Italian restaurant Vivace into this contemporary new vibe of a place. The tenant for the other half of the space is still being determined. Try some Belgium street fries with several different dipping sauces to go with those yummy burgers and micro brews, the most local beers on tap in Albuquerque!
Access to a pre-opening party can be attained by becoming a member of the Shhhhh Society, a web site, where members can receive specials on drinks, food and win prizes in frequent contests online. They offer a poll asking Albuquerqueans what their favorite local beer is and advertise $2 beer for members, who will be invited to exclusive events at B2B.
It sounds like Micah Lobato has some fun things in store for those looking for some fun new pub action. It's coming soon in mid-October and oh, shhhhhhh........don't tell anybody.
