In an era of restaurant-industry supply chain shortages, Draft is maintaining a large beverage selection and an inventive pub-style menu.
The perfect place to watch the big game this winter quietly arrived in Morgantown last year, in the middle of a pandemic, and is thriving against all odds. Draft in Cheat Lake celebrated its one-year anniversary in November 2021—one whole year of delivering craft beers on tap, a large selection of wines, various liquors, and a higher-end bourbon list to one happy customer after the next. Add inventive food specials and a delectable standing menu, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a winning restaurant.
Co-owner Hannah Henson says Draft is a special kind of sports bar because of the TVs, the chill atmosphere, and the big flavors. “We love the other sports bars in town, but they are in town, and we thought that there was a need for something on this side of town. We also wanted to offer more than just traditional drinks and bottled beer by creating a cocktail menu, stocking a variety of spirits, and creating some cool drink flights.”
The restaurant’s main goal is creating happy customers, Henson says, and a great deal of hard work goes into that, especially in the current service-industry climate. Staffing is a major hurdle, and the entire industry is struggling to find employees. “Everyone has a ‘We’re hiring’ sign right now,” she says. “It’s been a real struggle for us. The spring was busy, and we had enough staff to cover it, but then the summer just dropped off—no one wanted to work. We’re seeing that continue a bit, but we’ve managed to put together a really solid staff right now, and we appreciate that so much.”
The entire world, it seems, is grappling with hold-ups in the supply chain, and getting products—both in the quantity Draft needs and the quality the owners demand—has also been a tough go in recent months. “We’re not sure at this point if we should expect these sourcing problems to get worse or better soon. Some of the items we normally have on the menu are so expensive right now, or they’re not the same quality that we were getting before so we refuse to order them.” The beer and liquor side of the business has been affected, too, she says. “There’s a bottle shortage for beers, and several beer companies are struggling to get product out. There are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with the industry that customers might not even realize. But we just keep focusing on doing whatever we can to keep them happy. That’s all we can do.”
The Draft team is devoted to creating exciting plates and drink recipes that use the products that are available and that keep customers coming back for more. Recent specials include loaded chorizo queso, pork saltimbocca fries, pulled pork tacos, and a donut burger with maple sriracha bacon and red pepper cream cheese. Best sellers from the standing menu include the house cheeseburger topped with Draft sauce and the Italian Melt made with homemade marinara and served with brew fries.
Draft is also open for brunch on weekends, and the specials sound downright sinful. Indulge in cinnamon swirl french toast, lobster benedict, or bacon, cheddar, gravy and biscuit crumble quiche topped off with a mimosa flight.
Things are getting even tastier at Draft for basketball season, Henson says. “We’re going to have some specials on beer that you won’t be able to pass up, and we’ll be open on Tuesday evenings for the games. Customers can watch our 11 TVs, or they can even book our loft space upstairs and have the 85-inch TV in that space all to themselves with whoever they choose to invite.”
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups shredded chicken
- 2 cans black beans
- 2 teaspoons garlic chopped
- 4 4-ounce cans green chilis
- 2 cups sweet corn
- 2 jalapenos diced
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 cups enchilada sauce
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- 1 Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- 2 Mix the ¼ cup of cornstarch with water to make a slurry.
- 3 Add to the soup to thicken.
- 4 Simmer as long as desired and serve with tortilla strips or chips.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM MORGANTOWN’S WINTER 2021 ISSUE
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