Hoosier Histories
Scotty's Brewhouse is favorite meeting place
for BSU, IU, Purdue students and alumni
By Meghan Reiser
Ball State Business Fellow
Scotty's Brewhouse has become a staple in Hoosier university towns. The first Scotty Brewhouse opened in 1996 in Muncie.
You'll also find a Scotty's Brewhouse near the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington and near the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette. Because so many alumni from these universities live in Indianapolis, a fourth Scotty's Brewhouse opened on East 96th Street in Indianapolis in 2006.
Founder and owner Scott Wise got into the restaurant business not because he was a chef, or even a good cook, but because he wanted a place where he could enjoy some of his favorite things: wings, cold beer, sports and the blues.
Scott's family, though, has a food pedigree and a great entrepreneurial spirit. After WW II, his great-grandfather and his great uncles started Wise Supermarkets and operated a canning factory in Muncie for years. His great uncle Duane Wise stayed in the grocery business. On his farm outside Muncie, he raised some of the beef and buffalo that he sold in Wise Supermarkets' meat departments. Duane Wise raised charlaise cows because at the time they offered leaner, healthier meat for his customers.
One of Scott's uncles also owned Ross Supermarkets before it was sold to Marsh Supermarkets in 2000.
Scott's father runs a successful construction company in Muncie, which comes in handy when remodeling or opening more locations of Scotty's Brewhouse.
Going into the restaurant business has allowed Scott to play to his strengths and put to good use his advertising degree he earned from Ball State's journalism department. In the beginning, he did everything, but now he uses his business savvy, creativity and ability to motivate others to help his restaurants deliver dining experiences people want to repeat.
When you visit a Scotty's Brewhouse, you'll find that it appeals to all ages. Moms take their children there for lunch. Business people get together for lunch or a drink after work. College kids in T-shirts and jeans stop by for a beer and hamburger.
Some of the signature items on the menu include fried dill chips, burgers and other sandwiches made with Indiana-raised beef, the mo'fo' cluck sandwich, as well as signature desserts, including a peanut butter pie that was named as one of Indianapolis' 10 best pies in Indianapolis Dine magazine. From the bar, a diner has the choice of 30 draught beers and 34 bottled beers, which are offered daily in a specially designed logo-etched Brewhouse pint mug.
Scott describes his restaurants' atmosphere as "fusion dining." Plasma TV screens hang on the walls and are tuned to major sports events or sports news. Fresh flowers are always on the tables. Hamburgers and fries are menu basics.
Next time you're in Muncie, West Lafayette, Bloomington or the north side of Indianapolis, meet at Scotty's Brewhouse for "Good Food, Good Brew, Good People."
For more information about Scotty's Brewhouse, visit http://www.scottysbrewhouse.com.
