Welcome to Elm Street
Elm Street Brewing Company Expansion Plans Include Speakeasy & Coffee Shop
Writer / Aimee MacArthur
Photographer / David Fennig
Bill Lett is a big picture thinker and had a grand vision for Elm Street Brewing Company. He thought the former icehouse would be perfect as a brewery and opened the brewery seven years ago. He then added the restaurant four and a half years ago. Lett is a highly skilled builder with 50 years of experience creating large retail spaces. He is used to keeping up with lots of moving pieces and stays motivated by working hard from the support of his talented staff.
Elm Street Brewing Co.s craft beer has eye-catching and entertaining names like The Reverse Mullet. Lett says their head brewer, Seth Ruskowsky, comes up with the fun and quirky beer names. The most popular beer they make is Bantam, an English cream ale. Lett says the high-quality craft beer is thanks to the talented Ruskowsky and the superior yeast and hops he uses to make their beers. All of Elm Street Brewing Co.s house-made beers are available to go in 64-ounce growlers. The brewery also has a canning machine and many of their house-made beers are available in a four- pack of cans. Right now, canned beers to go and growlers to go are available for purchase only at Elm Street Brewing Co. The list of the brews they make, guest brews and Elm Street Brewing Co.s full tap list are regularly updated on brewery website.
If someone is new to craft beer, Lett recommends discussing it with the knowledgeable wait staff who will offer suggestions and try and find the right beer for a customer. They also offer tastings in individual four-ounce glasses of beer. Passionate craft beer drinkers enjoy ordering Elm Street Brewing Co.s beer flight.
If beer is not a go-to drink for someone, Lett says they have a full bar with spirits, including an impressive selection of bourbons.
Customers love Elm Street Brewing Co.s atmosphere, décor, craft beer and rave about the food. They offer a variety of reasonably priced appetizers, like Colorado green chili and fried pickle chips. Elm Street also offers lighter fare; like the antipasto salad the Buddah bowl, which includes a mix of lettuces, cucumbers, toasted pumpkin seeds, quinoa, chickpeas, carrots, tomatoes, purple cabbage and homemade honey ginger dressing. Sandwich offerings include a BLT and burgers. The restaurant smokes meat in-house and Lett says the smoked brisket sandwich with freshly smoked pulled brisket, sautéed onion, peppers, cheddar cheese, house made tomato jam and house made horsey sauce is the most popular item on the menu. We do a brisket wrap that has green chili on it thats pretty popular, Lett says. They also offer a fun selection of pizzas.
The restaurant has specials including $8 tenderloin sandwiches and $8 cheeseburgers on Tuesdays. They offer $1 wings on Wednesdays. The specials are a big hit with customers.
Customers can enjoy entertainment most nights of the week, including an open mic night and a regular rotation of musicians and bands.
Elm Street Brewing Co. has a loyal Muncie following. We have a lot of Muncie customers, Lett says. They come from all over Marion, New Castle, Indy. Theres people that come regularly from Fort Wayne and Cincinnati. Customers tell Lett they enjoy Elm Street Brewing Co.s laid back vibe with no pressure to rush during their meal.
Lett does not slow down and has big plans for Elm Street Brewing Co. and the surrounding area. He is relocating the brewery 75 yards away to a 5,500 square-foot building. The restaurant will not move and will remain in the same location. The new brewery location is still names Elm Street Brewing Co., but Lett needs to move the brewery to a larger area out of necessity to meet growing customer demand and to produce more beer. The plan is to sell their popular craft beer to restaurants and liquor stores. Our brewery will be 10 times bigger, Lett says.
Elm Street Brewing Co.s new brewery is scheduled to open this spring. Were going to put in a speakeasy and a coffee shop in addition to having the bigger brewery, he says. The new brewery location will probably open in April; thats what were shooting for. There is a lot of excitement for Elm Street Brewing Co.s new brewery location and 7 Rock Brew, the new coffee shop and speakeasy which will be inside the new brewery. Lett also has a graffiti artist on staff, Ben Blakley, who is responsible for all the artwork, including an alligator mural.
Lett owns a few Airbnb properties within walking distance of Elm Street Brewing Co. and plans to build more. I want to turn the neighborhood into a walking area, he says.
He envisions customers renting a nearby Airbnb, walking to the new brewery location and enjoying a beer and an appetizer and then walking to the restaurant to enjoy a meal and music. Lett believes deeply in the experience of taking time to relax and socialize with dining companions while enjoying a tasty craft beer and a delicious meal.
The outdoor area is dog-friendly, and Lett says many customers bring their dogs and enjoy beer and food outside.
Elm Street Brewing is an in-demand place for rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions and other gatherings. There will be additional space for events at the new brewery location. He recommends contacting them and speaking with manager, Austin Carpenter, to reserve an event space. It is advised to book well in advance of the event, especially if it is a busy holiday weekend.
Lett believes customers will enjoy their experience at Elm Street Brewing Co., which includes the restaurant, and the brewery expansion with a coffee shop and speakeasy. He hopes it will be a destination for foodies and craft beer fans with everything in one walkable area. The food and beer are awesome, Lett says. You can stay and relax as long as you like.
Elm Street Brewing Company is located at 519 North Elm St. in Muncie. For more information, call 765-273-2054 or visit elmstbrewing.com.
