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The Grumpy Jack was a pub concept started in the Soeffker’s backyard.
European immigrants Karen and Jack Soeffker are creating an authentic English pub off the Square called Grumpy George. The restaurant could open in early August.
Ms. Soeffker — the owner of All Things Kids on the Square — is originally from England. For the last seven years, she has run a Facebook page called The Great British Club of Georgetown. The Facebook group has 400 members who all have a connection to England.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the Soeffker’s decided to turn a storage barn in their backyard into a private British pub-themes space that they named Grumpy Jack. Since, they have celebrated British festivities in their backyard with their British friends. The backyard pub was named after has been named Grumpy Jack, because Mr. Soeffker’s biker name is Jack.
“People always think he’s grumpy,” Mrs. Soeffker explained, “but he’s not. He’s just being German.”
The new pub on the Square, Grumpy George, is modeled after their backyard hang. The bar will have 14 beers on tap, including Guinness and a variety of beers and ciders that come from England and Scotland.
The food menu is based on Ms. Soeffker’s personal recipes. Although not a chef herself, her mother and brother were both professional chefs. She will manage the kitchen, while her husband, a certified mixologist, will be manning the bar.
Customers can expect British classics like Scotch eggs, beer battered fish and chips, Ploughman’s Lunch, and sticky toffee pudding.
Ice creams All Things Kids, will also be featured on the menu. Regular ice cream offerings will include Texas Honey Whisky Ice Cream, and Genius Ice Cream on a waffle with a caramel drizzle. Other flavors from All Things Kids will also be featured on the menu on a rotating basis.
All Things Kids, which was started 6 years ago, was the first place on the Square to offer ice cream, Ms. Soeffker said.
The Soeffkers said they didn't know what they were doing when they were first starting, but attributed much of All Things Kids’ success to the Georgetown community’s support. They said the city helped by offering business advice and helping with inspections. The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce also provided useful resources to help get the business off the ground.
In starting Grumpy George, the Soeffkers have similarly had the Georgetown community’s support. They said Cody Hirt, who owns Mesquite Creek, Golden Rule, and River and Ranch Provisions, have been a tremendous help to the Soeffkers.
“[Cody] said come to my kitchen whenever you want to, come talk to my bar staff whenever you want to. We are here for you,” Mrs. Soeffker recalled. “And that is the beauty of Georgetown. That is why this city is just so important.”
It has long been a dream of the Soeffkers to open a public, authentic British pub, but it didn’t seem possible to do in a strip mall. When the space on Seventh Street became vacant, they found that it was the perfect place to open a pub. The building has a 24-foot bar with copper AC units attached to the ceiling.
Previously a recording studio, they are installing a full kitchen and bar space, with beer taps built in.
Mrs. Soeffker said it is important the taps are built into the bar facing the customer because that is how it is done in Britain.
Grumpy Jack, the private pub in the Soeffkers backyard, is being used as a model to redo the storefront: painting the exterior black, installing potted plants with flowers, and adding gold lettering to the front.