Bar Louie opens in new three-story Granger location
GRANGER, Ind.—A local Bar Louie restaurant opened in its new three-story location in the GrandView development on August 10.
The restaurant closed down its location inside of the University Park Mall in mid-March before making the move to 7320 Aspect Drive.
August 10 marked the official day that the new and improved Bar Louie was open to the public. The weekend prior, friends and family events helped the staff settle into the new space.
With two full kitchens, three bars, and plenty of space for dancing on the weekends and admiring views from the third floor rooftop patio, the new Bar Louie looks quite a bit different than the former location.
“This location is a lot more user friendly than the other location. It’s versatile. It’s a lot more family-friendly. We have the ability to put families on the first and third floors whereas the other space, we just had a family side and a bar side,” said Andy Knapick, a managing partner at the franchise group that owns the Granger Bar Louie.
The first floor has a large dining area, bar seating and even a dedicated social media wall where patrons can snap a quick picture. On Friday and Saturday nights, part of the first floor becomes a dance floor.
At the first floor bar, gold bar taps serve as a nod to the University of Notre Dame.
On the second floor, opportunities for special events like wedding showers and corporate lunches are available.
Up on the third floor, a full bar and seating area is separated from the outdoor dining patio by garage doors. A special menu is available on the third floor that includes everything offered on the restaurant’s first floor but adds a few special food items and drinks.
Bar Louie’s kitchens are open every night until 1:30 a.m. offering menu items like hot honey chicken sandwiches, flatbreads, burgers, and more.
Knapick, said that while the transformation process has been a long one, it’s exciting to see how the project has come together.
“We saw a lot of delays but we had a great construction team and our management staff really pushed through everything,” Knapick said. “It took us a little longer to open than we thought but in retrospect, we wanted to make the right decision and open when we thought it was best for our customers and employees.”
The restaurant is taking heightened safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as doing temperature checks at the door, supplying hand sanitizer and requiring face coverings.
Despite the challenges of reopening during a pandemic, Knapick said it’s just good to be back.
“The Michiana community has been fantastic to us for over 12 years and we’re excited to be a part of it once again. I hope to be a part of it a long time coming forward,” Knapick said.
The Granger Bar Louie is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.