Former Amish Acres site to be renamed 'The Barns at Nappanee;' Owners hope to open by Good Friday

NAPPANEE, Ind. --- The former Amish Acres site now has a new name, The Barns at Nappanee, and the new owners say change sare coming. 

An open house and job fair was hosted Thursday night to give the community a better idea of what's to come and a chance to get involved. Attendees were able to submit their applications for full-time and part-time positions in the kitchen, theatre, with the site tours and more. 

Marlin and Christy Stutzman, the new owners of the site, say they want to keep the Amish traditions around while also bringing in some new ideas. 

“What we want The Barns of Nappanee to be is a place where they can take their family, their friends. They can come here and relax, enjoy a show, enjoy good food," Marlin explained. 

The Stutzmans want to assure the community that the beloved festivals and fun will stay the same for the most part. The biggest changes will lie in the food and the show programming. The Lasalle Hospitality Group, best known for the downtown South Bend restaurant Lasalle grill, will be taking over the kitchen in the restaurant barn to kick things up a notch. 

“I think there’s a lot of new things we’ll be adding not just to the menu at the restaurant, but also in the theatre, we’re going to be seeing the season very soon and it’s going to include some original musicals that we’re working on with our team.”

Founder and CEO of the Lasalle Hospitality Group Mark McDonnell says it's an exciting opportunity to be able to bring something new to the historic site.

“We’re gonna keep some go the traditional things I know a lot of people are worried about are you going to do the traditional Easter buffet, and Mother’s Day, yes we’re going to do those things with some of our added flair,” McDonnell said.

The Barns at Nappanee is expected to open on Good Friday. McDonnell says as of right now, everything's on track for a successful Easter Buffet.