Local family assumes ownership of Brick + Mortar at Block22 in Pittsburg
Logan Byers found his passion early: he’s been in the food business since age 15. Ran his first kitchen at 18. Served. Bartended. Managed. And now, at age 32, he owns his first restaurant — one he has learned every aspect of since it opened in 2019.
Byers, with his dad Jay and his mom Christy, is the new owner of Brick + Mortar Social House at Block22, an innovative historic development in Downtown Pittsburg overseen by Pittsburg State University.
“I didn’t realize how much I loved this pace, the restaurant world, until I had a job that wasn’t in it,” he said.
He’s referring to a desk job in retail and one in door-to-door sales — neither job lasted long.
“I wanted something that was worth my time,” Byers said.
Turns out a restaurant with a scratch kitchen in one of the most historic buildings in the heart of Pittsburg is “that something.”
Byers grew up in Kansas City with a dream of going to Colorado one day.
“I moved there three days before the lockdown began to bartend,” he said.
When the pandemic derailed those plans, he bought a van and headed to Pittsburg, where his parents had lived since 2010, to convert the van into a camper.
He wound up buying a fixer upper home and becoming a Pittsburg resident. After working to make that home the best it could be, he’s focused on doing the same for Brick + Mortar with the help of head chef Elijah Jaimez and a solid kitchen crew.
“It’s not an easy thing to get your own restaurant, and we have that opportunity and are taking it seriously,” he said.
And, in the style of a true overachiever, he also purchased the made-to-order burrito and burrito bowl joint next door that shares a kitchen with Brick + Mortar and is part of Block22.
Formerly called Salsa, and before that Juicy’s, Byers renamed it Gorritos — a combination of “Gorillas” and “Burritos” — and is updating the menu to feature scratch-cooked ingredients.
At Brick + Mortar, he and his staff have created a menu of 12 signature cocktails.
“This is the only cocktail bar in town,” he said. “I bet you could order a Manhattan somewhere else, but I think it would be a mistake.”
They’ve refined their food menu and kitchen process, offering up pub grub like French dips made of house-roasted prime rib; classics like chicken and waffles with white gravy and a side of syrup or steak frites (flat iron steak with garlic herb butter, crispy fries, and arugula salad with house vinaigrette); and main dishes like fresh salmon on a bed of corn, avocado, black beans, and cherry tomato salsa, or braised short rib on garlic mashed potatoes with a red wine sauce and sautéed spinach.
Appetizers go beyond the ordinary to include crab cakes, crispy brussels sprouts with bacon in balsamic reduction, and poutine — thick cut fries in short rib gravy with cheddar cheese curds, bacon lardons, and scallions.
They’re also focused on the dining experience, Byers said, by planning an improved entrance and waiting area that will benefit guests who have just arrived as well as those who are enjoying meals at tables near the door.
Byers takes pride in he and his staff reaching a level of mastery that goes beyond how quickly one table is served.
“It’s how well you can handle multiple tables at the highest level of quality service,” he said. “It’s also how well you can assess the guest and what their needs and wants are before they even know them. You forge a connection with people and let them feel they can put their trust in you.”
“Our primary job is to give someone a great experience from the moment they walk in to the moment they leave — not just the right food, but the right communication, the right attitude, the right jokes, meeting expectations.”
He credits Jaimez, the kitchen manager, with the level of expertise and care that goes into each dish. Jay handles things like accounting and taxes, while Christy lends support with an eye toward decor and working occasional hostess shifts.
“As we grow into this, we will take food trips to other restaurants to see what would fit our vibe here,” Byers said. “This is a special place, and we’re focused on making sure our guests feel that.”