…and silver, and bronze!  Congratulations – and cheers–to The Covey Restaurant & Brewery in Ft. Worth, Texas for their recent win of six awards for their incredible crafts beers at the 2010 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition.  Brewmaster Jamie Fulton’s own recipes garnered the two gold, two silver and two bronze medals for the handcrafted beers.

The six medal-winning beers (out of 8 entered by Mr. Fulton) recognized by the judges include: The Covey’s Texas Blonde and Aduro Porter scored gold medals in the German-Style Kölsch/Köln-Style Kölsch and Coffee Flavored Beer categories, respectively; Silver medal winners in the Vienna-Style Lager and Imperial/Double Red Ale categories were The Covey’s Vienna Lager and Fritz Reserve Imperial Amber.  Bronze medals went to The Covey’s Flemish Pale in the Belgian and French-Style Ale category and to “100” in the Belgian-Style Strong Ale category.

Says VSAG Principal Dan Simons, “What Jamie has achieved with his craft brews is remarkable, not only as a single producer or as a restaurateur and brewer, but as a savvy businessman that recognized the incredible growth in the craft beer segment of the restaurant industry.  We’re very fortunate to be working with him and The Covey – and his beers are fantastic!”   Read all the hoppy details…

Can the promise of a free cupcake or some cold hard cash work better than dire predictions of dying polar bears and rising sea levels at getting people to cut their carbon footprint?  For diners at Farmers & Fishers and Founding Farmers it can!   Both VSAG managed and operated restaurants are in partnership with EarthAid, a Washington, DC based company that offers members points that can be cashed in for rewards like free spa treatments and discounts on everything from yoga classes to energy audits and organic baby clothes.

A recent article in Energy Daily highlights the benefits of saving green – like eating green at your favorite restaurants or redeeming points at any number of earth-minded retailers.  Read all about it. Then, join EarthAid and start saving your own green!

Cambria Suites, a client that has worked with VSAG since they opened their first hotel, has just launched its 19th location in Oklahoma City.   We are proud to congratulate their success and the launch of this newly revamped brand, which features an all-suite concept with top-of-the-line technology and comfortable settings for any traveler. VSAG worked with Cambria Suites and parent company Choice Hotels International on the food and beverage concept, helping them to achieve their vision of a bistro-style restaurant.  We look forward to more openings from this exciting group—there are already three more slated for 2010!

VSAG client Founding Farmers has been recognized by Mid-Atlantic Construction, a bi-monthly magazine for the regional construction industry, as the 2009 Retail Project of the Year. Projects were recognized for achieving the goals set forth by the project team, overcoming significant challenges, adopting innovative approaches, executing exception design and craftsmanship, and displaying strong teamwork. The jury was made up of architects, engineers, and general contractors.

The winning projects are featured in the Winter 2009/ 2010 issue of Mid-Atlantic Construction magazine.

VSAG is proud to share that DC’s Greenest Restaurant Founding Farmers has been featured in Hotel Magazine’s annual Gold Key Hospitality Awards as a finalist for the 2009 Casual Dining Restaurant Awards, as one of 3 international projects (and the only one in the U.S.!) that were nominated in this category.

The Gold Key Hospitality Awards are hosted by Hotel Magazine and Interior Design Magazine and recognizes design firms who have done the most innovative work on hospitality renovations or new builds from around the globe, for hotels, restaurants and spas. Congratulations to CORE and the whole restaurant team for Founding Farmers for a great showing and for garnering international attention. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s no wonder that environmentally conscious diners think twice about ordering bottled water from the restaurants that they frequent, but for patrons of VSAG client restaurants Founding Farmers and Farmers & Fishers, there’s not bottled water available.  At least not the ‘fancy’ imported kind – their water comes from the Washington DC water authority – right out of the tap!  Since the opening of Founding Farmers in fall 2008, the Natura water filtration system has been used in house, and was installed at Farmers & Fishers last spring to eliminate bottled water and the waste it creates.   The system intakes tap water from the local supply and superfilters and mineralizes it for fresh, clean water to serve to guests, all without the use of chemicals and with a choice of room temperature, chilled, or sparkling.

Read the rest of this entry »