MILLEDGEVILLE — Downtown Milledgeville’s Aubri Lane’s Restaurant lost the lunch crowd soon after its opening almost four years ago and didn’t recreate the early option. Owner Jason Medders decided to reopen the service starting Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Customers yearned for a high-caliber environment to host business lunches or bring prospective employees.
“Lately, I felt that our dinner crowd has built such a strong customer base that there is a lot of need for our lunch. Anything people have going on in town that they want to do a nice lunch for, they look to us to do it. Now, we give them that chance,” Medders said.
The 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday lunch hours present affordable items from $4 to $12. Pork belly sliders and the red rooster sandwich with grilled or fried chicken, honey-sriracha sauce and ranch dressing were lunch relaunch hits this week.
All sandwiches are served with jalapeno cole slaw and house chips. Inventive seafood-themed appetizers and lunch entrees are made fresh in house.
“We make everything from scratch. It makes a huge difference,” the Aubri owner said. “It’s better for you. The flavors are tremendous, and the quality of the food is high.”
Lunch wine specials for $3 house and $5 for any menu listing are a nice compliment as well.
The restaurant continues to evolve. Medders said it’s been difficult erasing a preconceived notion that the space is too nice and expensive for casual dining.
Tables have a simple look to alter the image.
Customers can order a great dinner for two Tuesday through Saturday at affordable price points.
Last summer, Aubri Lane’s began a $29 dinner for two option. A couple gets one appetizer, along with one salad and entrée a piece from a limited special menu.
Change is never shunned at Aubri’s.
“You have to be flexible and quick to adapt to change. You can’t be set in your ways in the restaurant business anymore,” Medders said. “You have to be able to change overnight to what the customer wants.”
Upstairs the setup features a 22-person private dining room and 40-person capacity mezzanine seating.
The establishment hosted recent dinners for Georgia Military College presidential candidates, receiving complimentary feedback. Aubri Lane’s will open on any standard off days to do a special event or big group party.
They provide off site catering also.
Aubri’s cut out the late night crowd to refocus on great food. They do accommodate guests until midnight Friday and Saturday evenings.
“I want to get back to focusing on what we truly are, and that’s good food and entertaining people,” Medders said.
Together with chef Adam Meade, the Aubri Lane’s owner researches menu creation for months at a time, developing new items and ingredients. The restaurant places heavy emphasis on evolving the product.
The food has to look and taste perfect.
“You eat with your eyes first,” Medders said. “If it looks good, it has to taste good, which it does.”
For those take out concerns, the restaurant goes up on KNG Delivery next week. Customers can quickly order the same quality food for home consumption.
“We try to let people understand it’s casual dining with a taste of Southern elegance. You don’t have to pay fine dining prices to sit in a nice restaurant and enjoy nice food,” Medders said.
The restaurant is located at 114 S. Wayne St. Call (478) 454-4181 or visit www.aubrilanes.com for reservations or pick up.
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