New restaurants, creamery, expanded tattoo shop will hit downtown Walkerton in 2020
WALKERTON, Ind.—“Our town is starting to wake up.”
Downtown Walkerton will see multiple new businesses hit Roosevelt Road in 2020, including a new pizza shop, a breakfast place that also serves Mexican food, a creamery and a beauty salon.
Artistic Soul Tattoo Studio expands
Longtime tattoo artist Mike Vickery spent Christmas Day moving his business from its old location on Roosevelt Road to its new home across the street.
“This definitely isn’t a 9 to 5,” Vickery said.
Six-year-old Artistic Soul Tattoo Studio’s new digs boasts a few hundred more square feet than the old place and Vickery has big plans for the extra space.
“With some of my travels over the years, I’ve been to some of the bigger cities and they had alternative lifestyle stores where you can walk in and you can get tattooed, you can get your hair done, you can buy jewelry, you can buy clothing, things along those lines. That’s what we’re trying to go for here but in a smaller town and see how the more local community responds to it,” Vickery said.
The front of the shop hosts Vickery and his other tattoo artists and piercing stations. The back will soon feature tanning beds that will open at the end of January and a hair and nail salon run by his wife, Sara that will open in the springtime.
The Lake County native started tattooing at age 15 as an apprentice and always hoped he’d be able to have his own shop one day. While the creativity aspect is one of his favorite parts of the job, he also said that each person he meets, and each relationship he creates, is why he does what he does.
“People really open up to tattoo artists like they would a therapist. You do a full sleeve on somebody and spend between 40 and 60 hours with them, you really get to know somebody,” Vickery said.
The tattoo shop will keep its name but Vickery is honoring a special someone with the name of the salon portion.
“We’ve actually chosen to name it after my oldest daughter who was diagnosed with autism this past year,” Vickery said.
“Meeks Salon” is based on a nickname for his 5-year-old daughter. He plans to dedicate the shop in the warmer months to both of his young daughters.
Artistic Soul Tattoo Studio is located at 621 Roosevelt Road in Walkerton.
Bourbon-based pizza franchise opening Walkerton location
Bourbon Street Pizza has set its sights on Walkerton for its newest location.
According to owner and founder Tim Harman, the ninth Bourbon Street Pizza location will open in late spring of 2020 at 608 Roosevelt Road.
Harman said the building is currently going through restoration efforts.
Pancake house opening in February
Michigan City based Memo’s House of Pancakes is opening up at 1120 Roosevelt Road.
A restaurant manager said that it will open in early February and offer breakfast items as well as traditional Mexican dishes.
A creamery set to bring pop-up dinners to Walkerton
The owners of a South Bend-based cheese and artisan deli shop are in the process of restoring the building at 616 Roosevelt Road.
Oh Mamma’s is planning to open up a creamery in the fall of 2020 that will offer pop-up dinners, tastings and classes.
Meals will be prepared with farm fresh products created using Oh Mamma’s cheese in collaborations with local chefs from the Michiana and Chicago areas.
"Our town is starting to wake up!" said Oh Mamma's Jody Klinedinst in an email.