17 Jan Roots Burger Bar Expands With Two Indy Locations – Homes for Smash Burgers and Craft Beer
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
Walter and I had beers and burgers recently at the 2nd, or is it the 3rd?, Roots Burger Bar. This one is located at 71st Street and Binford Boulevard in Indy, the site of the old GT South’s BBQ. They had 10 taps of beer, with other bottles and cans available; everything from mega-beer to local, regional, and national craft beer. They also have a plan to add more taps in the future, to go with their full bar and smash burger dominated burger menu (with desserts and app.s).
We had a couple of double smash burgers, mine with horseradish, smoked swiss cheese and onions, while Walter had one with blue cheese, bacon, BBQ and fried onions. We split some fried brussels sprouts while we watched some IU basketball on the several large TVs and took in the expanded seating.
Thursday was the third of three nights of friends and family openings, and the place was packed. Now they are open for regular hours, 11-10 Sun-Thurs, and 11-11 on Fri-Sat. I talked to Scott Wise owner of Roots Burger Bar and previous owner of Scotty’s Brewhouses and Three Wise Men Brewing about the similarities and differences between his first and second forays into the food/beverage business, and the future of the new brand.
Indiana On Tap (IOT): Your were in food and beer, then you weren’t, and now you are – what has the path been like?
Scott Wise (SW): I’m really happy with my new direction in life working in commercial real estate for CBRE and helping business owners with their own site selection by using my past 20 years of good and constructive experiences to help them be successful. However, beer/food is the industry that I’m passionate about and love working within. And, I’ve got a great friend and partner that runs the Roots Burger Bar day-to-day operation that I have known and worked with for 20+ years in Phil Wills, which made the decision an easy one to get back into.
IOT: What is the model for Roots? Are you looking to repeat the model of Scotty’s?
SW: Great question. I had no intentions of growing the restaurant. I went back and bought the original Scotty’s in Muncie when the group I sold the company to decided that they would bankrupt it. But, I did it with the intention to NOT grow like I did before.
I think this will resemble what I used to do, for sure. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. But, I am trying to make improvements upon some of the things I have learned over my career. This menu and operation is a reflection of that. I think it is a simpler, easier version of what Scotty’s used to be. More of a localized, mom & pop version of what we grew into before. After all, I am going back to my Roots. That was the whole point here. I wanted to go back to a simpler time when I had just got into the business in 1996… back when I was flipping the burgers myself, pouring the beers and serving the food. I hope that is the feeling our guests walk away with – a great local burger bar joint that makes you feel good and happy to be taken care of, like a guest in my own home.
IOT: How did you come to the 71st Street location and isn’t there another one as well?
SW: As I look for retail space for my real estate clients, I often come across sites that will intrigue my inner restaurant curiosity, “hmmm, I wonder if I could put a restaurant there…” And, then I quickly stop daydreaming and stop myself from going down that path. Until I came across this location in Carmel at 126th and Gray where a new Needler’s grocery was going in. I knew the developer, Brent Benge, and loved the facelift he put on the development. I also loved the neighborhood. We had a conversation about a space he had available and a few months later we had a deal. That location just needed a lot of work to get it ready and we hope to be open at the beginning of March.
So now I promised myself only 2 restaurants. And, then, I got a call to come see the old GT South’s which was converted to Madera Tex Mex and see if I had any clients to fill the space. Madera had only been open about 3 months before Covid and sadly, that put an end to their restaurant for good. When I walked in, I couldn’t believe how nice it was and really was ready to go for a restaurateur. What really attracted me was that I lived in the neighborhood and felt like we could really use something like this around us.
After a few months of negotiations, this became our 3rd location and I still have the mindset that we really have no more plans for growth. So 71st Street is actually the 3rd location, funny enough; but, because it was so perfectly built out, it was ready to go quicker than #2. I’m excited to be a part of these 3 different communities and bring back a little of the magic that we used to have with my previous restaurant endeavors.
IOT: What is the timetable for opening both locations?
SW: Roots at 71st and Binford will be open next week (Jan. 17). Roots in Carmel will be open in March.
IOT: How many taps of beer will you have at each location? Will there be a focus on local breweries?
SW: We have 10 taps at 71st and Binford and we will have 20 taps in Carmel. We have another 10 beers in bottles and cans. And, of course, my focus is always to support the local breweries.
IOT: Will the menus be the same as at the first location in Muncie?
SW: Yes, we plan to keep the same menu at all locations. Each location will plan their own monthly Burger of the Month, Sandwich of the Month, Cocktail of the Month and Shake of the Month. The menu is meant to be just a great burger joint with a small selection of other options that offers variety, simplicity, fresh, homemade food with no frills. And, most importantly, served by smiling staff with fun personalities. A feeling of warmth, community, family friendly and a great place to catch a game with friends. Remind you of anything I used to do?
IOT: Any possibility of bringing back the Shewman burger? Walter made me ask.
SW: Well, we have an alteration to that recipe; but, it is pretty close (PG&J Burger with peanut butter and jalapenos – you can get an egg on it if you choose). And, since we have all the ingredients to make the Shewman, we can customize any burger for anyone!
IOT: What else do you want people to know?
SW: Kids will eat FREE Sunday and Tuesday. Every Tuesday we will offer free music bingo which is a lot of fun for all ages. Every Wednesday will be free trivia night for all ages. And, our Mug Club is limited to a small number of people, so you will want to go online to get info and join quickly before it sells out. You can find out more info about our Wing Specials, Steak Night and more at www.RootsBurgerBar.com
I’ve had a sticky note on my mirror for several years since the group that bought Scotty’s caused 20 years of success to go down the drain in 2 years… it says, “Every setback is an opportunity for a great comeback.” Well, I don’t know if this is a “comeback,” but, I do hope that I’m able to show my kids that life is full of mistakes, heartache, up and downs… and, if you truly have a love, passion and any fight left in your being, then you learn from your past, you get back on the horse after you fall and you get back to your roots.
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