MISHAWAKA — The economy, increased competition, higher taxes and the smoking ban all contributed to the scheduled Wednesday closing of the Mishawaka Brewing Co.

Co-owner Rick Schmidt says food will be served Monday and Monday night, and then the kitchen will close. The owners only plan to serve drinks Wednesday, before the doors are locked.

Located for the past 16 years at 3703 N. Main St., the Schmidt family has decided to close the restaurant but continue operations at The Pub at 408 W. Cleveland Road, near the corner of Grape Road.

Brewing and bottling will continue at the production center in Elkhart, and beer will still be available for carryout at the brewery and The Pub.

"Under the current conditions, we decided that it was time to pull the plug on the life support," the owners stated in a press release.

Schmidt said sales this fall were the lowest ever for the restaurant. "Things have been doing down for a while, and have gotten worse with the economy. We’ve known for a while but just finalized the plan," he said. "We’ll still be around on a smaller scale."

You can read more about the local restaurant closing in Wednesday’s South Bend Tribune.

Staff writer Heidi Prescott:
hprescott@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6070