News Release

WARSAW — Le Diner En Blanc is a new event, brought to you by Main Street Warsaw and presented by G&G Hauling & Excavating and Core Mechanical Services.

The al fresco dining experience will take place June 12 on the streets of downtown Warsaw, with the historic County courthouse as a stunning architectural centerpiece. Attendees will need to make reservations for the event in advance.

No tickets will be sold at the event. Reservations need to be finalized
by 12 p.m. on Friday, June 6.

The white décor and attire-themed event features long candlelit tables decorated in white,
lining Buffalo and Center streets.

Guests are encouraged to come dressed in all white and will enjoy a three-course dinner from one of four downtown restaurants and live music and dancing under the setting sun. Guests make a reservation and purchase at either One Ten Craft Meatery, Alchemy, Biryani Indian Kitchen, or La Troje.

A cocktail party sponsored by D&D Electric will feature drinks created by mixology specialists from Falling Rabbit.

“This is a great way to celebrate our community and our downtown restaurants. It’s not only a cocktail party and dinner but also includes dancing under the stars to live music provided by Pablo’s Great Revenge. This is a must-attend type of event and with a wide-ranging set of menus to choose from, it should appeal to many who love to come downtown,” said Downtown Development Director for Main Street Warsaw, Terry Sweeney.

“We are excited to showcase our culinary point of view in a community setting and offer a
sumptuous dinner for our guests,” said Jason Brown, owner of long-time downtown culinary
anchor One Ten Craft Meatery.

The sentiment was echoed by Liz Reed, owner of Alchemy culinary, a newcomer to downtown, who said, “We put together a really unique, seasonal, three-course dinner with different wines that have been specifically curated for each course and included with your dinner.”

The event has a great deal of community support with additional sponsors provided by Skyline Builders, Robinson Construction, Derry Electric, MacAllister, IMI and Hampton Inn Warsaw.

For more information and how to make reservations visit mainstretwarsaw.org

Schedule
D&D Electrical Cocktail Party: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Dinner: 8 p.m.-9 p.m.
Dancing: 9 p.m-10:30 p.m.
Music: Pablo’s Great Revenge

The post Downtown Warsaw Le Diner En Blanc set for June 12 appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Entering its sixth year, the St. Paddy’s Street Party, set for Saturday in downtown Warsaw, is truly bigger and better than ever before.

This year, the festival has picked up more corporate support than ever before, including 14 different companies.

The festival has also expanded with the support of Go Rogue Warsaw which has organized a 5K fun run with registration topping 60 people as of Thursday.

The race is expected to start at 3 p.m. and registration will still be available beorehand.

Jason Brown, the festival founder who owns One Ten Craft Meatery on Buffalo Street where the street fair is focused, said the annual event has matured to include much more support than just food vendors and downtown merchants.

Sponsors include Rabb Water Kinetico, 107.3 WRSW, Main Street Warsaw, G&G Hauling & Excavating, Warsaw Party & Rental, First Federal Savings Bank, Moving Pictures Tattoo Cinema, OrthoWorx, Travis McConnell Law Office, The Bailey Moore Foundation, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and The Lab.

Main sponsors include Lake City Bank, Maple Leaf Farms and Silveus Insurance.

"It' not just food and beverage vendors. It's literally, the community coming together saying we know it takes a village. We'd like to be part of that village," Brown said.

"We've always been community-first, we've always been collaboration-first — just trying to do the right thing," Brown said. "We're open to letting pretty much anybody who wants to be involved be involved as long as it makes it a better experience for everybody."

The festival includes numerous food vendors, family oriented activities as well as a traditional beer tent that will feature two live bands.

Brown's also excited about next year when the newly established outdoor beverage policy for downtown Warsaw (known as DORA), becomes part of the downtown environment.

DORA allows restaurant patrons and festival goers to take their adult beverages outdoors.

Warsaw City Council recently approved plans for the DORA District which will be ready for use later this year with more than a dozen restaurants and bars participating.

Next year's festival will certainly continue to include a beer tent, but participants will be free to take their drinks outside of the tent.

"It'll just kind of open up our ability as far as not having to be restrained with the beer garden which is really nice," Brown said.

Pleasant weather with highs in the upper 50s is expected for Saturday in Warsaw.

The street party runs from 3 to 10 p.m.

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The post This year’s St. Paddy’s Street Party includes a 5K fun run appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — A new locally-owned, family-style pizza place is on the verge of opening in downtown Warsaw.

RockSteady Pizza Parlour intends to be open within a week or two in the space formerly occupied by Rua — and prior to that — the old Brennan pharmacy.

One of the co-owners, Joel Squires, tells News Now Warsaw that the business will specialize in pizza, sandwiches, soft-serve ice cream.

They hope the atmosphere strikes a nostalgic feel that entices a family feel.

The restaurant will feature an arcade room with pinball games, too, in what was previously known as the Brennan Room.

Customers can expect to find a variety of New York style artisan pizzas, he said.

"We just hope this is a really fun spot that people really want to latch on to and hang out and just be part of our journey," Squires said.

He also said they plan to open early enough to catch the coffee crowd.

"We'll open in the morning with a few quick grab breakfast sandwiches. Just a couple options. Nothing major. We're not looking to be a brunch spot," Squires said.

Squires will be joined by longtime friend, Alex Stults, in running the operation. Jason Brown, who owns and operates One Ten Craft Meatery — just a block away — is also part of the ownership group.

All three of the owners have extensive experience as chefs with local eateries.

The restaurant will also eventually serve alcohol but it won’t have a bar per se, Squires said.

The plan for a new restaurant has been in the works for nearly a year and came together in July, he said.

Rua opened in 2016, offered an eclectic menu, but closed after the pandemic settled in.

"Rua was definitely a very loved restaurant, you know, and we're just excited to take over the space, and hopefully, we continue that tradition of a great restaurant here," he said.

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WARSAW — "Courthouse Coffee" has reopened in its original location across from the Kosciusko County Courthouse in Warsaw after three months of existing in a temporary location during extensive renovations that have transformed the business space.

The coffee shop, most recently known as the "Courthouse Coffee on the Square," is paired alongside a new urban grocery concept. Changes are about 99 percent complete.

The coffee shop in the back of the store reopened for business at 7 a.m. Friday.

The market, in the front, will include a large variety of grocery items as well as meals for breakfast and lunch — all of which will be available within a few weeks.

The new arrangement came to life after coffee shop owner Travis McConnell teamed up with Jason Brown, owner of One Ten Craft Meatery, located next door.

The combined business will be known as B&B Courthouse Market.

The potential for such a store came to light during conversations involving the Hyett Palma study, which pointed to the lack a market-style space in the downtown, Brown said.

Brown and McConnell said they believe the business can help overcome the lack of a nearby grocery store on the west side and also cater to the large number nearby daytime workers, many of whom from Lake City Bank and Zimmer Biomet.

The Buffalo Street property was gutted and includes new flooring and exposed ceiling, as well as new gas and electrical lines.

The interior is also much brighter than the previous environment, spruced up with fresh light-colored paint by Tim Ellis.

It also has an overall larger footprint achieved by expanding into a previous storage area further in the back.

"It's a rebuild. We basically changed everything," McConnell said. "Like, what did you not change?"

The business will have two distinct areas. The market will include a lunch counter and 42 feet of display cooler space, Brown said.

The coffee shop features a long custom-made countertop constructed by Nathan Wilson that uses wood from an old bowling alley in Muncie.

"We figured out we could kind of blend the two worlds and create this city market environment where not only is it a place you can you come get food, but its a place to come hang out, a place to bring your laptop and get a cup of coffee, get breakfast, get lunch," Brown said.

"On the other end of the world, after work, you can swing by, get your late afternoon coffee and get some groceries for dinner," he said.

The grocery will have a feel of a a big city market, McConnell said.

Foods will range from eggs, bread, dairy, deli meats, and cheeses, as well as seafood, beef, pork, chicken, duck, lamb and goat, Brown said.

Guests can choose from a sit down menu that will include breakfast sandwiches, pastries and deli foods, salads and soups.

Wine and liquor will also be available.

The market will also employ a butcher.

The business, Brown said, is intended to accommodate a wide variety of people.

"You'll have everything from commodity-style items all the way up to high-end items, but it won't be one environment. It's gonna cover all demographics," Brown said.

[gallery size="full" columns="1" ids="85514,85510"]

Below are some before-and-after photos provided by Travis McConnell.

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WARSAW — A group of merchants in downtown Warsaw are hoping to shake things up.

The group, known as Go Rogue Warsaw, is a collection of store owners who meet weekly and are working to develop new attractions for the downtown.

More than a dozen businesses have been involved. Among the merchants leading the charge: One Ten Craft Meatery, Glam Boutique, the new art gallery, Atelier, The Lab and the soon-to-reopen Courthouse Coffee, which will see a complete revamping and a new name, B+B Courthouse Market.

"We feel there is a ton of potential — untapped potential," said Michelle Smith Henson, owner of Glam Boutique. "We're very optimistic that this downtown  can grow, our businesses can grow and foot traffic can grow. We just have to do the right thing so we can make it happen."

[caption id="attachment_85289" align="alignright" width="200"] Above is the group's logo. They also have brochures.[/caption]

The group began meeting a few weeks ago at Mad Anthony’s Lake City Tap House in the downtown.

Already in the works is a future billboard on US 30 to promote the retail area; plans or a green state-designated tourism sign along US 30 and a street map of the downtown for visitors to find stores.

Any downtown business is invited to attend the group's meetings. The approach, though, is simple, said Jason Brown, owner and chef at One Ten Craft Meatery.

"Our rule's very simple. If you want a voice, put money down and we're happy to have you," Brown said. We wanna make change and those who want to make change are goin ro put our money with our mouth is."

A representative of Main Street Warsaw, which represents the downtown in various interests, has been attending the meetings. Group members said they believe both entities can work side-by-side and that Rogue is not in competition with the existing structure.

In many ways, representatives said Rogue is there to compliment other groups' efforts.

The movement comes amid a time when the vacancy rate  among downtown stores is rather low (and better than in many area towns) and several of the downtown storefronts are renovating. Male Fashions, a longtime part of the downtown, is moving from Center Street a block away to Buffalo Street.

Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer was asked about the group's role and likes what's happening. He said he's attended a few if the meetings.

"No one can do everything and having a couple groups with very common interest does nothing but increase the likelihood of success,"Thallemer said.

The group meets at noon on Mondays at Mad Anthony’s Lake City Tap House at 113 E. Center St.

You can find the group's Facebook page here.

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WARSAW --  Jason Brown, owner of The Vic at One Ten Craft Meatery, is hosting the annual St. Paddy’s Street Party Friday in downtown Warsaw.

The event will be from noon to 10 p.m. on Buffalo Street between Center and Main streets.

During the event, there will be food trucks and vendors and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Brown said everything will be done by a ticket program for food and beverages. Tickets for those are $6 each.

Vendors include Courthouse Coffee on the Square, HopLore Brewing Co., Ledgeview Brewing Company, Mad Anthony's/Shigs & Pit, One Ten Craft Meatery, Ledgeview Roadster, Mad Batter Baking, Shawnanigans and The Diner.

There will be three live bands performing from 4 to 10 p.m. Those include Wings of Oberon, McLane & Co. and Shiny Shiny Black.

There will be a mobile TV airing the NCAA tournament.

Entry is $5 at the door while children 2 and under are free. The entrance to the tent will be on the east side of Buffalo Street right in front of One Ten Craft Meatery.

Mobile restrooms, firepits and heaters will be available.

Community partners include Winona IT, who is a highrise partner; 1Eighty Digital, First Federal Bank, Main Street Warsaw, Maple Leaf Farms, Monster Message, Orthopediatrics, Our House Real Estate, Silveus Insurance Group, who are uptown partners; and Camp Mack, Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation and The Lab, who are downtown partners.

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