Local Bar vs. Nationwide Restaurant & Bar Chain - Reporting from Gaithersburg 6

By Elvan Katmer

Thursday, December 1, 2014

Local Bar vs. Nationwide Restaurant & Bar Chain

Quince Orchard Plaza has two sports bars, but they have very different customers.

Quincy's bar and Grill has been in business in Gaithersburg for 30 years, though it was named Ernie's Bar until Marty and Alexis Magill bought it six years ago.

The small restaurant is known for good food, cheap beer, a jukebox full of classic rock and live music several nights a week.

Quincy's bartender, Stephanie Ayton on the move.

Nearby is Buffalo Wild Wings, a national chain with over 840 locations.

When Buffalo Wild Wings moved  into the plaza, Magills felt threatened at first. The business could be affected by the competition, but it did not happen.

"We expected a 10 to 15 percent hit for the first couple of months. But I literally can tell you, it [Buffalo Wild Wings] actually increased our business," said Mrs. Magill.

The bar has a good regular customer base thanks to its years of reputation at Quince Orchard Plaza. Carlos De La Carrera, a regular customer at Quincy's said the environment is friendly, and you would always see an old friend when you come to Quincy's.

"It feels like you are at a friend's house," he said.

Buffalo Wild Wings has on the other side established its business successfully. According to restaurant's manager Matthew Halbrook who has been running the business since its opening at the shopping center May 19, 2013, the location is great for the sports bar chain, and it helped give a new face to the shopping center along with along with LA Fitness on the opposite side. That's where you go to burn the beer and wings.

"We are bright, we are colorful. We stand out. You can almost see us right off 270," he said. "People see that the shopping center exists."

Buffalo Wild Wings is a large three section bar and restaurant with over 75 HD TVs and a few projectors. Although it seems to have a larger variety of choice when compared to Quincy’s food, serving preconditioned food meant to be prepared, served and consumed quickly doesn’t get thumbs up from customers.

Quincy’s on the other side is almost half the size of Buffalo Wild Wings. Although it gets the highest draw through the football season, Quincy’s is not the best place to watch football according to Ryan Kwasnik, a server at Buffalo Wild Wings.

“I go there. I like Quincy’s, but I would never go there like on a Sunday or Saturday night to actually watch a game,” he said.

What draws people to Buffalo Wild Wings are sound quality, TVs and the stadium like atmosphere. Sound is adjusted to the sections. Lounge area by the bar is where people come together, watching the games drinking beers and yelling. Rise section is preferred by families for its surrounding, and low dine is the place where speakers are less loud.

“I could see the game in every direction,” said De La Carrera. “There are some TVs that are showing the same game, but at the same time you still see up to five or six games.”

A total of 67 people work at Buffalo Wild Wings, but some customers say they don't have the same skills as their counterparts at Quincy's.

Erik Mercilliot, shopper at Quince Orchard Place who has been to both bars complained about servers at Buffalo Wild Wings.

“The one time I went, the girl [server] was like ‘Sorry that the service is crappy,’ and then still continued to give us crappy service,” he said.

Consistent staff at Quincy’s also helps business. One of the bartenders, Paul Watson now in his early 70s, is still bartending now two days of the week at Quincy’s since its first day in Gaithersburg. It receives compliments about staff’s professionalism, friendly and swift service along with food quality.

A local real estate agent in her mid 50s, Laura Patterson recalls the days she came here as a teenager. She has been a regular at Quincy’s since the restaurant, then Ernie’s, moved to Gaithersburg from Rockville in late 1976.

“There is nothing fancy about it. It is the people that go there and the atmosphere,” she said.