New Center Grove area Alehouse is a dream come true for owners John and Laura Gladish
Compiled by Cleveland Dietz II
A lifelong dream was accomplished when Tried & True Alehouse opened Jan. 9 in the Center Grove area.
Laura Gladish said it had been her husband’s dream to own a restaurant for 30 years. John Gladish had worked at a Texas Roadhouse for 25 years before hearing that the former Mucky Duck Grill & Bar location, 2800 S. State Road 135, Suite 100, Greenwood, became available. Laura said it all happened quickly after that.
The two worked 12 and 14 hour days ahead of the restaurant’s grand opening, cleaning, painting, preparing the menu, deciding on the décor, hiring staff and more.
They traveled to other restaurants that had similar looks and ambience to what they wanted and together, with a contractor, they came up with what Laura described as a “rustic industrial” theme. Reclaimed wood from pallets extends a few feet up the walls. They used pipes for railing. Classic rock and contemporary country plays over the speakers.
Between 85 and 90 people are on the restaurant staff, many of them students at Center Grove High School. According to Willie Roegner, operating partner at the alehouse, three of the six employees of the month selected so far have been high school students.
Laura returned to work to help her husband achieve his dream after she spent nearly 15 years as a stay-at-home mom to their three daughters.
“It has been a blast,” she said. “I’ve loved it. Getting to know all the staff. The business has been good and successful. It’s fun to watch and be a part of my husband’s dream coming true. I think we’ve achieved what he set out to do.”
Tried & True Alehouse is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 – 12 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.
*Questions answered by Laura Gladish
Why did you open this business?
“It’s been my husband’s dream his whole life.”
What did you do to prepare for opening your business?
“Through the whole process, we were in here 12, 14 hours a day. We did a lot of the work ourselves. We cleaned this place. We painted. We put together all of our—the material that we needed for the restaurant, training material. Hiring the staff was a big part of [getting started]. Getting everything set up for the business to run. Meeting with different people, food reps and things like that.”
Who is your ideal customer?
“A husband, wife and their kids coming in between school and a sports practice or music lessons or anything like that. Mostly families.”
How do you plan to be successful?
“It’s always just going to be providing top-notch service, treating people the way we want to be treated in a restaurant. That’s No. 1.”
What would we be surprised to learn about you or your company?
“It might be that people that I’ve met in here probably don’t realize that I haven’t worked for such a long time.”
Tried & True Alehouse
2800 S. State Road 135, Suite 100
Greenwood, IN 46143
(317) 530-2706
triedandtruealehouse.com
