Chef James Galbraith has opened restaurant # 3 in Southwest Michigan and is bubbling over with excitement about the menu and the atmosphere he’s created at 207 North Whitaker in New Buffalo.
‘PostBoy’ joins ‘Houndstooth’ and ‘Anemel’, both unique restaurants in downtown Benton Harbor, in the Galbraith restaurant portfolio. James sat down with MoodyOnTheMarket.com to profile the New Buffalo start-up and talk about his rapidly growing group of eating establishments.
Galbraith describes PostBoy as a ’New American café’ with a friendly, informal, upbeat atmosphere and an emphasis on familiar flavors that evoke great memories, while being presented through exciting new recipes and combinations.
He is confident that PostBoy will become a ‘destination’ restaurant for Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana residents, as well as a favorite drop in spot for thousands of tourists who visit New Buffalo during ‘the season.’
As he built the menu, Galbraith says he kept in mind a wide range of people: young families and couples coming off the beach or a boat, groups of friends looking for a restaurant with a contemporary vibe that’s missing elsewhere, as well as ‘boomers’ casually enjoying the New Buffalo lifestyle.
Galbraith expects diners will seek out PostBoy for the menu, and many will even make reservations. But it’s OK to drop in anytime on the spur of the moment.
“If someone is just looking for a quick bite… a burger for instance… it’s going to be a special, delicious quick bite. Our beef is sourced directly from a specialty farm in Illinois, and we’ll serve that burger on a Pride of Pennsylvania roll.” There are no ‘ordinary’ items on the menu. Each has been placed there after careful thought and consideration by James and his team.
Galbraith talked about how he links flavors with memories of great food or past life experiences:
“We have things that are nostalgic. There’s a gnocchi dish on the menu and it has citrus cream on the bottom. It has a Hooks cheddar sauce…kind of like a cheese sauce. Some really nice smoked bacon and chives. And it’s gnocchi so it’s a pasta made out of primarily potatoes. So those ingredients are every single ingredient in a loaded baked potato! It’s just delivered in a more creative way.”
Galbraith suggests that a new restaurant with a somewhat adventuresome menu is really in the ‘trust building business.’ He says it’s the job of his knowledgeable, well-trained servers to guide first time diners to items they might otherwise hesitate to order, based on the server’s conversation with the customer. Having taken a little risk and then having been pleased with the new dish they tried for the first time, the customer returns and is more confident in trying other menu items because they trust the restaurant’s team and its menu.
Galbraith says that’s been the success story of his first venture, Houndstooth, with its eclectic, small and ever-changing menu. While PostBoy is more mainstream and on a larger scale, he wants to build the same kind of trust with customers to encourage them to try different menu choices, beyond their old stand-by’s like burgers or a Caesar Saland.
PostBoy is in a building on Whitaker Street that’s been there for decades, across the street from the Amtrak platform. You might remember part of it as a Subway shop or a real estate office. But that was before Galbraith and his real estate/restaurant partner Ben Holland got hold of the building.
Now there’s seating for about a hundred people inside, amid a bright, colorful contemporary open vibe. During the ‘season’, they’ll nearly triple that capacity with an outdoor space that offers various size tables, as well as a group space under a pergola.
Galbraith says PostBoy will be one of the larger indoor/outdoor restaurants in the area in Summer. “There’s a pergola covered space tp do rehearsal dinners and special events or that can also be used for overflow seating. If we’re at full capacity we’re close to 300.” He expects to serve 1200+ guests on busy summer evenings at PostBoy.
They will also be in the’ PostBoy merch’ business, hoping to capitalize on the history behind the restaurant’s name. PostBoy was the name of Great Lakes explorer Captain Whitaker’s boat that ship-wrecked nearby, leading to the founding of New Buffalo.
Another interesting aspect of Galbraith’s creation of three restaurants in just a few years’ time has been his evolution from the ‘one man show’ entrepreneur who does everything to the leader of the effort and the mentor to those who now ‘do everything.’
Galbraith says it’s been a challenge to let go of the ‘hands on’ approach and step back to more of a management role. He says once the PostBoy concept was set, one of his biggest responsibilities has been to recruit the team that will navigate and implement the course that he has set. Many are local, while some others have been attracted to join Galbraith from the Chicago restaurant scene, where he spent several years.
That includes general manager Aaron Mace, who joined PostBoy from One Off Hospitality Group, a company that made its name in the culinary development of Chicago’s trendy West Loop neighborhood. Galbraith says Mace focuses on the public-facing ‘front of the house’, while James maintains a ‘hands on’ approach in the back, where the menu and the food is concerned. Meanwhile, ownership partner Ben Holland pitches in from his business and real estate background, learning more about the restaurant business and giving Galbraith some time to devote to his other two places as well.
PostBoy is open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. 5-9 weekdays, 5 til 10 Friday, noon-10 Saturday, & noon-9 Sunday.
Learn more at www.PostBoyNB.com 269-767-8269
By Gayle Olson, MOTM Contributor
