A new food concept in Fairfax City’s Audacious Aleworks allows diners to get Pennsylvania-style diner food and locally-brewed beers all in one place.
Brian’s Brunch-A-Torium will celebrate its opening at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25 at Audacious Aleworks‘ tasting room at 10940 Fairfax Blvd Suite E in Fairfax City, Audacious Aleworks co-founder Brian Reinoehl told FFXnow.
While a soft launch of the menu is already underway, Audacious Aleworks will expand hours to all day with the Brian’s Brunch-A-Torium opening on Jan. 24.
“It’ll be all day waffles, lattes, beers, you know, mimosas, Moscow mules,” Reinoehl said. “And I’m happy about that, because that’s the closest to a diner I could get.”
Reinoehl, an Annandale resident, started Audacious Aleworks with Arlington resident Mike Frizzell at their Falls Church brewing location and taproom in 2018. The Fairfax City taproom followed in 2022.
According to Reinoehl, the Brunch-A-Torium idea emerged from the need for small businesses like theirs to find creative solutions to stay afloat. Customers also provided feedback about the need for a larger menu and expanded hours.
A trip to his hometown provided the idea he needed for the Brunch-A-Torium.
“I’m from Pennsylvania, and I was up visiting Knoebels amusement park where I grew up, and I just went to just wonderful breakfast spots,” said Reinoehl. “The universe just kept telling me, do this. This will be fun. This is what people need.”
When crafting the Brunch-A-Torium menu, Reinoehl said he drew inspiration from Woody’s Place Diner and Coffee House near his hometown of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, including the idea to introduce coffee flights.
The Brunch-a-Torium offers breakfast and brunch items like coffee, lattes, eggs and waffles. Other highlights include an Amish friendship waffles recipe from Reinoehl’s grandparents and the Susquehanna Scramble filled with eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, cheese, home fries, onions and peppers.
“Getting people’s feedback already, it’s already been very positive, and that is just due to my quality demand on my people, but also the cooks are very talented at what they do,” said Reinoehl. “I’m looking forward to just bringing the warmth and happiness and joy to the taproom more hours of the day in the daytime especially.”
Along with the Brian’s Brunch-A-Torium menu, Audacious Aleworks Fairfax City has launched an all-day menu with tacos, quesadillas, nachos, burgers, Pennsylvania-style hot hoagies, sourdough grilled cheeses and other bites.
Customers are encouraged to follow the Audacious Aleworks and Brian’s Brunch-A-Torium social media pages for additional opening updates in the coming weeks.
Reinoehl said the brewery prides itself on being locally owned and family-friendly. He urged the community to continue supporting small businesses, which operate within small margins, face steep rent and are surrounded by chains.
“We’re paying the same rent and lease as these billion-dollar companies, and our margins are just tighter, and so we don’t have marketing material money for anything like that,” said Reinoehl. “Find your local businesses and support local because every dollar that you spend at Audacious Aleworks and Brian’s Brunch-A-Torium stay right in Northern Virginia.”
