Clancy’s, Inc. Celebrates Grand Opening of New Family Restaurant

Photographer / Amy Payne

It’s the next step in a family legacy.

This August Clancy’s, Inc. opened the doors to Grindstone on the Monon, which stands as the latest eatery in the company’s family of restaurants. The first of which opened in Noblesville more than 50 years ago and currently includes Grindstone Charley’s, Michelangelo’s Italian Eatery, Grindstone Public House and Clancy’s Hamburgers.

Blake Fogelsong, director of operations with Clancy’s, Inc., says the new eatery’s Westfield location on the Monon was a perfect fit for his company’s latest project.

“We’ve seen so much growth in the Westfield market over the last five years with Grand Park and all the new stuff they’re doing, and when we found the location we thought it would be a home run for us in terms of all the growth and development in the area,” says Fogelsong, a third-generation member of Clancy’s, Inc. whose grandfather Carl opened his first restaurant, Clancy’s Hamburgers – the first double drive-through restaurant in the Midwest – in Noblesville in 1965. “We’re super excited to be part of the community.”

In early 2018 Fogelsong and his team bought the property on Wheeler Road and undertook a nine-month construction process to build the family-friendly Grindstone on the Monon from the ground up. The finished product houses 200 seats inside and 55 more on the outdoor patio that features a fire pit, and Fogelsong describes the interior aesthetic as rustic yet contemporary with a casual, welcoming atmosphere for all ages.

“We wanted some bold, eye-catching light fixtures and earthy tones and colors,” he says, adding that bike racks are also on site for those coming fresh off the Monon. “It’s a big restaurant and we wanted it to be family-friendly from the start.”

The Clancy’s team brought Grindstone Public House executive chef Aaron Gregori to handle the menu, which covers a lot of culinary ground. On the app front, you’ve got nachos, wings, cheese curds, crab dip and poutine, and from there you can choose from salads, sandwiches and sliders, as well as main entrees like street-style tacos, meatloaf, steak, stuffed pork chops and smoked ribs.

Fogelsong chose to infuse the menu with some family history by including the Topper burger, which came to prominence at his grandpa’s Clancy’s Hamburgers joints. It’s a double-stacked burger with American cheese, shredded lettuce and house tartar sauce on a double-decker bun.

“The menu is similar to Grindstone Public House, but it’s slightly bigger. We put in a smoker so we have a nice meat section with house-smoked brisket, a pasta section and steaks,” Fogelsong says. “On all of our menus we like to have a wide array of choices, where you can come in and get a $10 or $12 sandwich, and also take it all the way to the top and get a nice bottle of wine and a steak too.”

Many of Gregori’s ingredients are sourced locally from vendors like Silverthorn Farm, Turchetti’s Salumeria, Viking Lamb and Wildflower Ridge Honey among others.

Thirsty patrons will also find a lengthy drink menu that includes local beers, 25 whiskeys to choose from and cocktails broken down into categories like Strong & Stirred, Light & Refreshing, Seasonal and All Day Favorites.

“The city’s been super supportive of the project and has been looking for restaurants like us to come to the area, since there’s so much business up here with Grand Park and the hotels that are being built,” Fogelsong adds. “The mayor came out and did a ribbon cutting at our groundbreaking ceremony, which was exciting.”

Fogelsong runs Clancys, Inc. with his father Perry, who opened the first Grindstone Charley’s restaurant in the 1980s, and both father and son are confident Grindstone on the Monon will fit into the family of Clancy’s establishments nicely.

“I’m so happy to be able to go to work every day with my dad and some amazing managers and servers,” he says. “We want this restaurant to be really community-focused, and I think we’re on the path to achieving that.”

Grindstone on the Monon is located at 17470 Wheeler Road. Visit clancysinc.com for more info.

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