NILES, Mich.—Iron Shoe Distillery is planning to make some big changes over the next few months.

The restaurant and distillery will double the size of its existing kitchen, add new outdoor spaces and more, according to Laura Tuthill, who owns Iron Shoe with her husband, Howard.

“There are so many nights when we reach the max capacity of orders and food that we are able to make, even in our current space, so it is much needed,” Tuthill said.

Iron Shoe’s new outdoor patio and rooftop bar will add 49 seats and will also be used as a spot for live music and other events like morning yoga followed by cocktails on the weekend.

A new dining room space will be available to rent out for private events like birthdays, wedding rehearsal dinner, birthday parties and more.

New menu items will also be added.

The restaurant isn’t the only part of the business that’s expanding. In the last year, Iron Shoe has been distributing its spirits in Indiana and since, has maxed out on production space.

The expansion will add more space for distilling equipment, bottling and barrel storage.

“We make all of our spirits (vodka, whiskey, rum, limoncello, orangecello, bourbon crème liqueur) all on site, from scratch, so it requires a lot of space,” Tuthill said.

The renovations will take place throughout the summer and will involve a short, temporary closure in June while the kitchen is renovated. Look out for an announcement on the exact dates on Iron Shoe’s Facebook page.

The owners hope to complete the renovations by the end of the summer.

On May 7, the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce presented Iron Shoe Distillery with the 2021 Business of the Year Award.

Iron Shoe Distillery opened in 2019 and is located at 3 North 3rd Street in Niles.