Bull & Bush closes its kitchen for an eight-week remodel, but the bar is still open

Bull & Bush will temporarily close its kitchen for the first major remodel in its 41 years, although — and this is important — the bar will stay open.

To get it done, the kitchen will stay closed for six to eight weeks, says co-owner Erik Peterson. “When my dad and uncle started this place back in 1971, it was mostly a bar serving sandwiches and that kind of thing. There was no fryer, no grill. Over the years, we have developed, and now with all the families coming in, we are getting crushed every night. We had one fryer, a small grill and a flattop that was too small.” In addition to the ground-up changes, Bull & Bush will add a big new beer cooler in the back so that it can have more beers on tap at once.

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While the work is under way, Peterson and his brother, Dave, are encouraging people to bring in their own food or order from the food trucks that they have asked to stop by in the evenings. “We’ll be open during regular hours and you can still come in and try all the beers,” he adds. “The main room, the back room and the patio are all still open.”

The kitchen closure, which started earlier this week, has been tough on employees, Peterson acknowledges, but he’s trying to work through it and keep as many as possible. The brothers are targeting October 8 — the Monday before the Great American Beer Festival begins — as their reopening date.

In the meantime, Bull & Bush is currently celebrating its 41st birthday by tapping 41 different beers over 41 days. And as part of the party, there will be live music playing tonight and Saturday.

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