26 May Twenty Tap Will Soon Re-Open and Rise Like The Phoenix
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
It may not seem like a long time for some people, but for fans of Indianapolis’ Twenty Tap, the fire in February seems like forever ago. The wounds are still tender for the all of us who spent so much time drinking, eating, and talking with Ryan, JB, Drew and the rest of the crew.
Smoke and water damage were much more extensive than anything destroyed by the flames, but the renovations are still turning out to be extensive. Warped wood and blackened surfaces required that most of the fixtures and wall treatments be replaced. Nevertheless, owner Kevin Mattaluci wants the old Twenty Tap to live again, so his intent is to have the renovations mimic the original interior as much as possible.
The rail at Twenty Tap will be packed again soon. Maybe the biggest difference will be that Nigel and Niamh won’t be at the bar drinking. Photo credit: Indiana On Tap
He thought that this would help expedite the renovations. The insurance company and city told him that if he was only replacing things and recreating the same interior, then no new architectural drawings or specifications would be needed for permitting. Of course, that didn’t turn out to be the case. When Kevin showed up to get his permits, he was told that he would have to bring the architect in and get all new drawings. This set renovations back several weeks, but they are in full swing now.
Kevin now believes that Twenty Tap will be ready to reopen bewtween the last of June to the first week of July. When I stopped in, Kevin’s wife Tracy was lying down on her side painting the wall beneath the large picture windows in the south half of the restaurant. The bar was in place with identical light fixtures above. There is still considerable work to be done, but most importantly, all 38 tap faucets are in place and ready to pour – and the brew house in the basement is set to revive Twenty Below.
Even better, because they had good insurance, everyone is scheduled to be back in place when they reopen. All the servers and kitchen staff have been getting paid, although you can stop in and say hi to a few of them as they moonlight at Brugge Brasserie. Ted Miller of Brugge and Kevin go back a long way, back to their days of brewing at Broad Ripple Brewpub, so a special thanks goes out to Ted and Shannon for giving people a temporary home. The Mataluccis and the employees got together last weekend at the Twenty Tap site for a beer and a short look at the remodel. Everyone so far is intent on returning to work for the reopen.
Look at the bright side Twenty Tap fans, it’s only been 3½ months that we have been missing our poutine and shrimp and grits. Hopskeller Brewery in Waterloo, IL burned in October of last year, and they are still 2-4 weeks from opening. Photo credits: RTV6
Some employees have even been coming by every once in a while to help out or check on progress. Casey, that jack-of-all-trades and master of beer lists, has been putting his construction skills to work and doing a lot of the work with Kevin and Tracy. To everyone for whom Twenty Tap feels like a second home, this personal investment by the owners and employees will only add to the feeling of community and camaraderie. Let’s just hope they decide to invest in couple of new dartboards. The fire did those boards a favor and put them out of their misery.
That’s where the story stands in the third week of May. As the opening date approaches, more information will be coming on what’s new, what’s back, and the details from the kitchen and brewery. As far as Walter and I are concerned, it can’t come soon enough.
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