Tyler Watt doesn’t only have a foot in the food business. The owner of Postmaster also owns a local watering hole across Chatham Street called Pharmacy Bottle + Beverage, which on any regular night hosts couples and friends out for a drink at the bar or on the patio.

But without dine-in service, Watt had to change how he and his employees serve their customers.

Putting the brakes on Postmaster, he shifted gears and went full speed ahead on GOV’T CHEESEBURGER, a take-out-only restaurant featuring hearty burgers and housemade chips.

“We decided to completely rebrand to allow us to lean into a concept that does not necessarily reflect the cuisine or style of Postmaster, while still maintaining the quality of product,” Watt said. “The concept was originally going to be just a grilled cheese pop-up that turned into a full-blown, greasy-burger concept.”

In addition to the burgers, GOV’T CHEESEBURGER has sandwiches, salads and appetizers on the menu, including Postmaster’s famous pimento cheese. A selection of wine, beer and soda can also be ordered online. They are not offering a to-go version of the Postmaster menu at this time.

Juicy burgers and housemade chips can be ordered from Tyler Watt’s GOV’T CHEESEBURGER. Photo by Dave Lantrip

The idea came from Postmaster chef Christopher Lopez and his sous chef, John Kleinert, who were making American-style cheese using Tillamook sharp cheddar, transforming the flavorful cheese into something smooth and melty.

From there GOV’T CHEESEBURGER took off.

With the help of the remaining management staff, the restaurant shifted over the course of 24 hours.

“The show-out from our community and loyal customer base has been tremendous, and we couldn’t be happier with how much love has been sent our way,” Watt said. “In addition to regulars, we have a lot of friends and family connections within the industry community that have come out heavily to show their support.”

Although folks can’t linger on the patio, Pharmacy Bottle + Beverage remains open for people to stock up on their favorite brews and bubbles. Customers can also bring in their own growlers — or any container for that matter — to have filled from one of the 16 rotating taps. For those who don’t have a container or forget to bring one, The Pharmacy will provide 64-ounce plastic jugs for customers.

“At the end of the day, we just want to say thank you to everybody who has come out to support our businesses,” Watt said. “We will be here as long as we can do so safely and responsibly.”