By Pete Smith
When The Pint Room officially opens at 3 p.m. April 28 at the corner of Main Street and 1st Ave. NW, it gave craft brew devotees a place to call their own in downtown Carmel.
With a 124 craft brews on tap – 45 to 50 of which are from local brewers – people might feel overwhelmed at the sheer array of possibilities. So that’s why the owners are offering special 4.5 oz. glasses that cost $1-$2 so that people can get a taste of something new without the need to buy an entire flight.
And beer isn’t the new restaurant’s only attraction. Co-owner Derek Rapkin said The Pint Room aims to offer “five-star bar food.” It offers Kobe beef in all its burgers and even employs Executive Chef Ryan Sunderland to ensure its menu offerings are all high-quality.
“Everything is made fresh in-house,” Rapkin said, noting that the menu will also vary by season so that it’s always new.
He also doesn’t want families to be deceived by the name and think the restaurant is only a bar.
“We don’t just attract the hipsters and craft beer people. It’s family-oriented, too,” Rapkin said.
The Pint Room even goes so far as to offer a kids’ menu, and Rapkin said no one will be looked at weird for coming in with their kids.
The restaurant is planning two areas for outdoor seating. The first would be similar to the setup that Muldoons employs across Main Street and would require eliminating two parking spaces on the east side of the building. The second would be a patio that caters more to adults on the interior of the Sophia Square building.
Rapkin said he is hopeful to have both implemented sometime this summer.
While beer is the specialty, The Pint Room also offers unique attributes like liquor infusions and a Sunday buffet-style brunch. And with more than 40 bars stools and 29 tables, there’s likely space for everyone.
And Rapkin said that even the television offerings are negotiable and won’t necessarily be tuned to sports.
During its first week, The Pint Room will be open at 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 11 a.m. Friday to Sunday; but it will regularly open at 11 a.m.
Main Street filling up
It’s one of a number of exciting business openings on Main Street as the summer season starts to prompt an influx of customers.
Scotty’s Brewhouse has opened on the other corner of the Sophia Square building adjacent to the Monon Trail, and Pad Thai restaurant is expected to open its doors in the coming weeks just behind Scotty’s.
The Foolery, a long-time Carmel comic book institution, plans to have its grand opening at midnight on April 29 to coincide with the release of “The Amazing Spider Man No. 1.”
And Woody’s Library Restaurant is debuting its expanded deck and outdoor seating now that warmer weather has arrived.
Plans are also in the works for many of the vacant spaces remaining on Main Street, pointing to the value businesses are placing on its summer foot traffic.
