When he took over, Kemp said he switched the focus at Finley’s from the bar to the kitchen, turning it into “more of a restaurant.”
“It was really moving into the food side of it, being that we’re family-friendly over here,” Kemp said. “It’s the same exact type of culture [as Growler]. We wanted to be inviting for that crowd.”
Since then, Kemp said he and his team have brought several changes to Finley’s Kitchen + Bar designed to heighten customers’ and employees’ experiences.
From staffing and menu changes to new floors, Kemp said he and his team have been working to create a place that feels like it is part of the community, much like the atmosphere at Growler Bar.
“Downtown Round Rock just had a really good vibe,” Kemp said of his acquisition of Finley’s. “It kind of seemed to fit into ... what we had had going on over there in Pflugerville.”
In addition to cosmetic upgrades, Kemp said he wanted to make Finley’s more comfortable for employees.
“If you’ve got happy employees, that shines through to your food and service through the culture that you have,” Kemp said.
Before his ventures into restaurant ownership, Kemp said he worked in an eatery owned by the family of a friend in his hometown of Del Rio. Working in the restaurant and craft bar scene brought Kemp together with Eddie Peery, who became general manager at Finley’s.
Peery said one of the ways he and other staff are working to improve the customer experience at Finley’s is through consistent food quality and an interesting menu.
One of the runaway hits of the upgraded menu is Finley’s relatively newer burger of the week.
In addition to burgers, the Finley’s menu offers starters that include a hummus plate, burnt-end-queso and deviled eggs, wings and sliders as well as soup, salad, brunch and a child’s menu.
Peery said the burgers of the week have proved a measurable indicator of why many patrons have become repeat customers.
“We have regular guests now that come in—they don’t even care what it is,” Peery said. “They just sit down like, ‘Give me the burger of that week.’ We’re like, ‘You want to know what’s on it?’ [They say,] ‘No, surprise me.’”
Finley’s Kitchen + Bar
410 W. Main St., Round Rock
512-465-2031
www.finleysrr.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.,
Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.,
Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
