Scotty's Brewhouse to open in Mishawaka

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- A popular Indiana restaurant is expanding into Michiana.

Scotty's Brewhouse, a staple in other Indiana college towns, is coming to Mishawaka. The restaurant will take up the old Max & Erma's building, which has sat vacant for nearly a year.

A location like Max & Erma's is highly sought after because of how close it is to the University Park Mall, as well as other major retailers and restaurants in Mishawaka.

However, the process can be a challenge for restaurants, especially bars like Scotty's Brewhouse, looking to secure one of the limited number of liquor licenses available in the city.

Residents are thrilled about what this means for the community.

"It's great that someone thinks that highly of this area," said Nick Skoulos.

The building is just one of a few that has sat empty of the last few months, but President and CEO of the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce Jeff Rea says the recent turnover with businesses in area is not a concern.

"The bottom line is that the area is really attractive to commercial and retail type customers and again they draw from nine counties," said Rea.

Still, folks that have been to Scotty's Brewhouse around the state fear this is not a good location for a business known for being in the heart of college hangouts.

"Oh, it's really cool in Layette, but this location is perplexing," said Skoulos. "They're a great brewhouse with a lot of micro breweries on tap and in the bottle, which is great when you are near campus or are near a downtown area where people are walking to more venues."

Although this Scotty's Brewhouse location will not be close to Notre Dame, everyone seems excited to see a new business moving to town.

"It's an excitement about Scotty's Brewhouse, but it's general excitement about any business that makes the decision to move here, to grow here, to expand here because it says something about our market place," said Rea.

When Scotty's Brewhouse opens April 1st, it will be the first within the chain to open in Northern Indiana.