Did you know that Broney’s serves wings? Me either.
That’s because my limited classy-trashy Court Street time is spent downing the bar’s hallmark beverage: the Champagne Slushie. And I’m not alone. Patrons have been imbibing the peachy cocktail since the bar opened six years ago.
At first, the slushie’s popularity grew with the bar’s status in the Court Street bar scene. But Brad Wharton, Broney’s owner, said once the masses realized the bar offered a slushie, sales ballooned and the frosted concoction became the establishment’s most popular drink.
While Wharton is proud of the slushie’s success, he’s a tad bit bashful about where he got the idea from.
“Well, my family was out at dinner” Wharton admits.
It was on a night like any other. Mild. Inconspicuous. But who’s trying to be dramatic here? It really was just another night. The man was at a Longhorn Steakhouse for crying out loud.
He was set to open the bar in six months and still finagling with the menu. That night was the night he took a fateful sip of his mom’s drink.
“This fruity peach drink,” Wharton said with a subtly plush gesture. “And it was actually really good.”
Wharton went up to the bartender after the meal and asked him for the recipe. One slushie machine later, the Champaign Slushie was born. Now, that machine has a sister, with a second slushy machine joining the family this past year. At $6,000 per machine, Wharton said the drink was a big, but ultimately wise, investment.
“It’s always more profitable to not sell out,” Wharton notes.
At $4.50 for a tall glass on a college budget, it says something about our allegiance. Broney’s has started offering a smaller economy size for $3, but either way, the drink is well worth forfeiting the Big Mamma’s on the walk home. |
