A new barbecue and pizza restaurant is tentatively opening in Mentone by late October, while a breakfast and lunch eatery is being planned for somewhere in Warsaw.
The Kosciusko County Alcohol and Tobacco Commission heard about the businesses when their liquor licenses came before the board Thursday.
Elisabeth Thompson, Mentone, was before the Commission for a renewal of her beer and wine retailer restaurant permit, which she owns and has been in escrow for going on three years. She was scheduled to appear at the Commission’s meeting in July but did not appear, though she told the Commission she did not know she was supposed to be there.
“We are currently building right now. The poles are up. I’m about two weeks out on trusses. Concrete is to be poured next week,” Thompson said, adding that she brought pictures of the progress of the building construction and drawings of what they’re working on.
She said she did contact Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco to try to transfer her license because it’s currently under her home address and personal name and she wants to get it under her business name and physical address.
Asked by Commission President Elim Smith where her business will be, Thompson gave an address of 104 S. Broadway St., behind the library in Mentone. Excise officer April Tackett told Thompson that when she gets the transfer to the new business name and address, she will have to come back before the Commission to show them the address.
Smith asked Thompson when she planned to be open, and she said she was shooting for mid to late October. Commission member Alan Alderfer asked her what she was opening.
“It is BBQ on Broadway LLC, so we will be selling barbecue, craft beer and also pizza,” she said.
With no further questions, the Commission unanimously approved the renewal of the license. The Commission’s approval is a recommendation to the state ATC.
Steve Hunter, senior vice president of operations for Full Service Dining Inc., doing business as Uptown Kitchen, location pending in Warsaw, was next before the Commission. The corporation was seeking a beer retailer restaurant permit and a beer, wine and liquor restaurant permit.
Tacket explained, “This is one of those underlying permits where they bought a beer or wine or beer and wine permit, converted it into the three-way with no carryout. That’s why it’s two permits. It’s really just one place.”
Asked what the principle nature of the business was, Hunter replied, “We just purchased a restaurant in Mishawaka called Uptown Kitchen. It is a breakfast and lunch business, and so that’s when the license became available. We think that we’re going to be able to expand that concept.”
He said the license was purchased at a state auction. Tackett said the permittee will have to come back before the Commission once they find a location for their business. For Thursday’s hearing, the Commission was just hearing and voting on the character of the permittee.
Tackett asked if Full Service Dining Inc. owned other alcohol permits. Hunter said he was before the Commission a month ago for Papa Vino’s Italian Kitchen on Ind. 15.
“We do have two other Papa Vino’s already in existence, and, as I said, I’m back. We’re closing on a deal for Uptown Kitchen, and that’s a property in Mishawaka in Heritage Square,” he said.
Smith asked why they needed alcohol permits for a breakfast and lunch restaurant. Hunter said for mimosas and Bloody Marys, especially for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The other thing that they may do is private events where alcohol may be served, depending on space.
Both permits for Uptown Kitchen were unanimously approved.
Later in the meeting, Alderfer asked Tackett if Uptown Kitchen bought a beer and wine permit at auction. She replied that they bought a beer-only license at auction and then paid to get it upgraded to a 210-1 license (beer, wine and liquor). Alderfer asked if anyone could do that.
“In this city they can. That is a rule for only certain cities with a certain population. So if you’re in Fort Wayne, you can not do that because the population is over whatever the number is, but in this city, yes you can. You can not do it for wine-only licenses because wine-only licenses are not on quota,” Tackett said.
Ohm Um, co-owner of Warsaw Seafood Inc., doing business as Asian Cajun, 658 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, sought a new beer and wine retailer restaurant permit, which the Commission approved 4-0.
He said they had Asian Cajun on Ind. 15 for “quite some time” and they served their customers beer and wine. When they opened Asian Cajun at 658 S. Buffalo St., Um said they weren’t going to serve alcohol there but then they received a lot of requests for it from customers.
Wabash Donuts is still open and located in the building, as well as a market in the back.
The Commission approved the new permit and Tackett was planning to inspect the building after Thursday’s meeting.
The last license the Commission discussed was a beer and wine retailer restaurant permit renewal for Port Winona LLC, formerly known as Port Winona, 807 E. Canal St., Winona Lake.
Tackett said it was a renewal with a violation. The owner, Jim Zachary, died in 2021. She said this would be the fourth time the Commission continued the hearing on the license, but “they have been trying to make progress and they have been in touch with the ATC.”
She said the owner’s death certificate has been turned in to the ATC, as well as other paperwork.
Tackett made a motion to continue the renewal one more time “just to give them the proper opportunity to get all of their stuff in order.”
The Commission agreed to table it.
Renewals without any violations approved by the Board at the beginning of their meeting included:
• Bar B-Q Bar LLC, doing business as Peterson’s Fish, 1009 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor restaurant permit.
• Claypool Inn LLC, doing business as Claypool Inn, 108 S. Main St., Claypool, beer, wine and liquor restaurant permit.
• DAS Restaurant LLC, doing business as The Frog Tavern, 1116 S. Harkless Drive, Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor restaurant permit.
• Farmhouse Kitchen and Catering LLC, doing business as Farmhouse Kitchen and Catering, 9522 N. CR 300E, Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor restaurant permit.
• Kelly Jae LLC, doing business as Kelly Jae’s Lakeside, 110 E. Main St., Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor riverfront and lake permit.
• Kiyomi Inc., doing business as Kiyomi Inc., 404 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor riverfront and lake permit.
• Mac’s Convenience Stores LLC, doing business as Circle K #4702372, 606 N. Main St., North Webster, beer and wine dealer grocery store permit.
• Maxwelton Golf Club Inc., 5721 E. Elkhart County Line Road, Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor restaurant permit.
• McClure Oil Corp., doing business as McClure Oil #37, 9311 S. Ind. 15, Silver Lake, beer and wine dealer grocery store permit.
• McClure Oil Corp., doing business as McClure Oil #55, 311 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, beer and wine dealer grocery store permit.
• The Owl’s Nest LLC, 7369 E. CR 800N, North Webster, beer, wine and liquor catering hall permit.
• Tippy Dance Hall Marina LLC, doing business as Oswego Mini Mart, 2757 E. Armstrong Road, Leesburg, beer and wine dealer grocery store permit.
