When Chad and Lori Keithley opened Brewskies Grub and Pub a decade ago on the far east side of Seymour, the location served a purpose.
The restaurant and bar attracted travelers off of Interstate 65 and served people staying at the local hotels in the area, especially during the summers.
Brewskies also became a popular destination for live music, bringing in bands from all over the Midwest.
“When we started there, it was booming,” Lori said. “The hotels were thriving.”
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But in recent years, the surrounding area has changed, becoming run down and a haven for felons and the homeless.
Instead of travelers, Brewskies became a hangout for people living in the motels.
“It just kept getting worse and worse,” Lori said.
So a couple of years ago, the Keithleys began to talk about relocating.
Chad had taken a full-time job with the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department and through that work became more acquainted with the downtown, helping out Seymour Main Street with events.
Different people began to tell the Keithleys that Brewskies needed to be downtown, and Chad began to believe it.
“I love downtown,” he said.
They looked at a couple of downtown buildings but couldn’t find anything to rent that fit their needs.
And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed everything for all restaurants and small, local businesses. Brewskies was forced to close its bar and inside dining and could only offer curbside pickup.
Unlike other eateries that struggled, Brewskies seemed to attract new customers who were looking for local food options. Once people tried Brewskies’ menu of salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, wraps and their famous Wednesday night steak dinners, they kept coming back and told their family and friends.
“We had families just sitting outside eating in their cars,” Chad said. “It was unbelievable the amount of support we had.”
Even being open just four hours daily, Brewskies nailed it that first month, Lori added.
It wasn’t too long into the pandemic when the Keithleys heard another local restaurant, Bullwinkle’s, had decided to close.
Located in the Elks building at 117 E. Second St. in the downtown, Bullwinkle’s was a family restaurant and did not serve alcohol. The Elks maintained a bar, however, on the first floor.
The Keithleys still wanted to operate a bar, but they wanted Brewskies to be known more for its food and dining atmosphere. So they decided to check out the building to see if it could be a potential new home for the business.
“I was like, ‘Let’s see it, let’s look at it, let’s see what we can do,'” Lori said.
After doing a walk-through of the space, Lori decided she wanted to make the move.
“It just worked out,” she said.
One of the features that sold them was the fenced-in patio area, which has a capacity of more than 400 people, perfect for outdoor dining and live music.
They closed their east side business in July, moved everything out and began to renovate the inside of their new downtown location.
With paint, stained woodwork, new flooring, added galvanized wall coverings and a completely refurbished kitchen, it began to look like a whole new establishment.
“That’s why it took so long,” Lori said. “I wanted it to be perfect.”
She also wanted the decor to mean something to her personally, so she asked her kids and nieces and nephews to choose their spirit animal. She then purchased framed pictures of those animals to hang on the walls.
“I wanted to bring my family into it because family is everything to us,” Lori said. “And this is a family restaurant.”
The move wouldn’t have been possible without the help of their family and friends, she added.
“Anything we needed, they would come in here and help,” she said.
They also created a local heroes wall for first responders, and Lori is putting together a wall to recognize those who served or are serving in the military.
On Sept. 29, Brewskies Downtown officially opened.
For Chad, he sees the move as another way to support the downtown and help the community grow.
Brewskies plans to continue its tradition of live music and karaoke both indoors and on the patio, inviting local and regional acts to perform.
But for now, they are working on serving people high-quality food in a timely and friendly manner.
“There are lots of opportunities for us here in the future,” Lori said. “We want to do so much more, but at this stage, we’ve got to focus on our service.”
Serving a lunchtime crowd is something entirely new for the Keithleys and the Brewskies crew as they used to open at 2 p.m. and cater more to a late-night crowd.
Now, they close the dining room at 9 p.m. and the bar at 10 p.m. during the week. On Fridays and Saturdays, the dining area is open to 10 p.m. and the bar closes at 11 p.m.
They’ve had to triple the number of employees they have, including bringing Lori’s mother out of retirement. Her father also helps out a lot greeting and talking to customers.
“We brought two with us from the old location, and we’ve hired about 15,” Chad said.
The menu also has been revised and updated to feature new dinner entrees, not as many appetizers and an added kids menu.
They had talked about doing away with pizza because there are so many other places in town that offer pizza, but their customers changed their minds.
“We’ve sold a lot of pizza,” Lori said. “So we’re going to keep it on the menu.”
But they are now offering two sizes, 12 and 16 inch.
Another favorite that isn’t going away is the Wednesday steak nights, which are a Brewskies tradition.
“Hopefully, we’ll get to where we have a special every night and a quick menu for lunch,” Lori said. “But we weren’t going to get rid of our steak night.”
By taking over the Elks’ bar, Brewskies will continue to serve alcohol, giving adults a place to go after work or on a date night.
With the move, the Keithleys are expecting to attract new customers, too, especially now that Brewskies is a nonsmoking establishment.
“I think it’s going to be so good,” Lori said of the move.
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Brewskies Downtown
Owners: Chad and Lori Keithley
Address: 117 E. Second St., downtown Seymour
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, dining room open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., bar closes at 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, dining room open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., bar closes at 11 p.m. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Phone: 812-522-4308
Menu available online at:
https://brewskiesdowntown.wixsite.com/seymour
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