Beter makes Barboursville better

How does a sleepy little West Virginia village turn into a brewery, beverage, and restaurant hotspot? It gets Beter-ized, that’s how.

The energy that Jason Beter applies to his growing business empire is amazing. He is definitely a leader in the transformation that Barboursville is undergoing.

It began with his Barboursville casual dining restaurants—Oscar’s Breakfast, Burgers and Brews and 1861 Public House—and then there’s also his Orbit’s Record Shop. Next it progressed to a brewery—Köerber Beer Company. Then adding a fine dining establishment—Copper & Rye. And now a brand new upscale bar called Black Fox Social. That’s quite the resumé.

Talk about a change. Beter’s efforts, along with corresponding investments by other local entrepreneurs and investors, are totally transforming the heart of downtown Barboursville. People from the Huntington region now head to Barboursville for food, beverage, and fun; instead of all the Barboursville people heading to Huntington.

Beyond his wholly-owned businesses, Beter also manages restaurants in partnership with other Barboursville investors. Copper & Rye, for example, is jointly run by Beter and the building owners. It brings back to downtown Barboursville a top-quality restaurant with an attractive, unique menu. “Upscale modern American meets subtle Southern flair and French culinary technique for a menu that feels familiar yet elevated,” is how they describe the Copper & Rye experience.

Black Fox Social opens

The latest Beter-ized project is the opening of Black Fox Social. For this business, Beter partners with the property owners and provide the bar management expertise. The fun at Black Fox Social begins this weekend with its grand opening.

You’ll find a beautiful basement bar along with a spacious outdoor patio. Indoors, the basement seating area gives off a cool cavern-club or speakeasy vibe, Artfully done rustic wall treatments and upscale seating make the place memorable. Everything is first-class.

Outdoors, umbrella covered tables and chairs fill the patio area, where the main feature may be the ultra-large screen television on which patrons may watch sports and other entertainment. Besides fancy cocktails, premium wines, and drams of world class liquors, customers will enjoy choosing from a list of popular Köerber beers and more.

While Beter loves to sell his own Köerber brews, he does not shy away from also offering beers from other top-notch breweries. A broad tap selection has always been an endearing feature at his Oscar’s restaurant, and this extends to 1861 Public House, the new Black Fox Social, and the fine-dining Copper and Rye. (BTW, Oscar’s is managed by Jason’s son Lukas.)

Koerber Beer Company expansion announced

Getting back to the Köerber Beer Company, there’s also big news here. Beter says he has secured a lease agreement on the building in front of the brewery and will take it over for his Köerber taproom later this summer. Concurrently, he will expand the production brewery in the rear building.

As Noah Beter, who is Jason’s son and Köerber’s head brewer, shows his developing mastery of numerous beer styles, the brand’s sales are responding. Köerber beers have been on a roll recently, finding more distribution in the Charleston region and also growing to the Fayetteville and Lewisburg areas.

Customers are loving the Köerber brews, as is evidenced by their solid 3.87 overall score on Untappd (with over 3,200 ratings • Untappd ratings link). So expanding the production brewery is a natural, since they also need to supply the growing restaurant/bar operations in Barboursville. Along with the brewery expansion, the brewery’s new taproom will also begin offering a morning hours coffee shop. Sounds like a good way to maximize revenue from the space.

Beyond breweries, restaurants and bars, Beter’s downtown retail family will soon extend beyond the record store when he opens Bazaar on Central. This business will be a unique, curated vendor mall located in the heart of The Village Of Barboursville.

Barboursville love is growing

Jason Beter grew up in Barboursville and his passion for his hometown is so evident in the energy he exudes in developing and managing his business interests. The same can be said for Beter’s partners in some of the businesses: the owners of Village Care Giving, now a national company that got its start in Barboursville and maintains its headquarters here. Its owners have continued to invest in Barboursville, now including food & beverage projects that bring people to downtown.

Beter alway finds ways to keep the local beer profile highly visible. Even his annual record store festival now features a mini beer festival to go with the music. It’s become a very popular event for the village.

Beter’s enthusiasm spins off to others who now also see exciting business prospects in the village. The Olde Library Tavern, which opened last fall, is a perfect example. Featuring a full-service bar and a literary themed food menu, the business is located in the former town library building.

All this investment in a small suburban town surely shows the possibilities. Hopefully, property owners in other small towns will take a close look at this model and figure ways they too can turn their downtowns into West Virginia hot spots.

LINKS

1861 Public House
Oscar’s Breakfast, Burgers and Brews
Copper & Rye
Köerber Beer Company
Orbit’s Record Shop
Black Fox Social
Olde Library Tavern