Brewing up a dream

Ryan and Kelly Johnson are well aware of the local restaurant void that has been discussed in local circles and on social media.

They’re in the process of trying to help fill it.

The rural Jay County couple is in the planning stages of opening a restaurant and brewery in the Stevens Building on the south side of Main Street, just west of Meridian Street, in Portland.

They plan to run dual businesses — the HoosierBoy Smokehouse and Brew restaurant and its partner, HoosierBoy Brewery.

The Johnsons are excited to open their doors to the public — “Yesterday, I wanted it yesterday,” said Ryan when asked about the timeline — with a goal of beginning to brew in late 2018 and opening the restaurant and tasting room in early 2019.

They referenced a recent CR photo of the former Ponderosa restaurant being torn down. It drew more than 100 comments on Facebook, many lamenting the need for additional dining options in Portland.

“Portland needs it,” said Kelly. “We’re just as guilty; when we go out, we don’t stay here. We go anywhere else.”

The Johnsons had been talking with other couples about possible business opportunities late last summer. The wives daydreamed out loud about a boutique. The husbands brought up the possibility of a steakhouse. And those chats eventually led to the idea of a microbrewery, the likes of which are popping up in small towns left and right.

“To walk in and see the stainless tanks and experience it, start drinking it — it’s made right here — that’s part of the whole (experience),” said Ryan. “I’ve had a wild, crazy dream of having a steakhouse one day I never thought it would come to anything.”

Kelly and Ryan decided to pursue the idea.

They first went to Dean Sanders at Jay County Chamber of Commerce, and later met with Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman. They and other local officials helped shepherd the Johnsons through the process of getting a business started, leading them to purchasing the Stevens Building from Barry Hudson.

They are working with Brent Mathers of R & B Architects, Indianapolis, on plans for the building, with blueprints expected to be ready May 24. The renovation process is expected to take about six months.

The plan is for a rustic look, with both the brick walls and ceiling beams exposed, and vintage advertising as part of the decor. The first-floor ceiling will be removed in the front of the building, creating a 24-foot-tall tall entryway.

A seating area for about 100 will be on the east side of the building, with a the kitchen, tasting room and a meeting room on the west side. More seating, estimated at up to 250, with an additional meeting room will be upstairs, and there are also plans for a patio at the rear of the building along the brick alley.

“We want to be a place where the community can gather,” said Kelly.

For the restaurant side of the business, the Johnsons have been working with Ivy Tech professor Ryan Bell on the process of creating a menu. He also connected them with one of his former students, who plans to move to Portland with her husband to be the chef/bartender team.

The menu, which is still in development, will include standard steakhouse fare with ribeye, sirloin and New York strip steaks, augmented with other speciality items. Those could include the Canadian favorite poutine, a variety of smoked meats and blue crab spinach dip.

As for the beer, Ryan and his father, Kirk, have brewed some beer in the past — “We like to drink it,” Ryan said — but will be working with a brewer out of Columbus, Ohio, in order to get that part of the operation up and running. They’ve also discussed the possibility of featuring local home brewers down the road in addition to potentially offering wines from the likes of The Tipsy Glass and Tonne Winery.

A Pioneer seed dealer and Jay School Corporation bus driver, respectively, Ryan and Kelly said they’re excited about their new endeavor and anxious to get customers through the doors.

“It’s an adventure,” said Kelly. “It’s fun. You only live once.

“We would just like to give Portland something they’re proud of.”