Due North Holdings, LLC, through one of its subsidiaries, acquired Scotty’s Brewhouse, a popular Indianapolis-based restaurant concept that has carved out a niche as an “all ages welcome,” family-friendly sports bar and eatery under the direction of founder, Scott Wise. Known for burgers, American fare, dozens of on-tap craft brews, and awash in TVs, Scotty’s Brewhouse has grown to 17 locations in Indiana, Illinois, and Florida by making sure each restaurant is a unique reflection of, and connected to, the local community. Scott Wise will remain actively involved in the concept as the company grows the restaurant’s footprint nationally to new markets.
ZGrowth Capital Fund was also involved in the deal and will provide their expertise to not only develop the Midwest region, but also work with Due North Holdings to debut the concept in Arizona and other markets in the Southwestern United States within a year.
“The Scotty’s Brewhouse culture is truly one of a kind,” says Kevin Blackwell, CEO of Due North Holdings. “The brand has been built on Scott’s passion for food, family, sports and community, and it resonates with families everywhere. Every community needs a ‘Scotty’s’ in the neighborhood, and we look forward to working with Scott and his team to make that happen.”
“This has been a 20 year dream in the making,” says Wise, founder of Scotty’s Brewhouse and Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. “And to see it all come to reality, as well as, understand the potential for our future with Due North is so humbling and exciting.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Scotty’s Brewhouse, a concept that Wise debuted in 1996 at the age of 22. An avid sports fan and family man who is committed to making the world a better place, Wise sees restaurant growth as an opportunity to connect with new communities in meaningful ways.
“Due North Holdings shares our values here at Scotty’s, and that was a big part of the decision for us,” says Wise. “I wanted to know my vision and my team would stay in place as we continued our growth and Due North Holdings is giving us this exact opportunity.”
The Scotty’s Brewhouse menu is large and loaded with more than 100 items to please everyone in the family, including gourmet hand crafted burgers, chicken wings with homemade sauces, craft beer and much more. Each Scotty’s restaurant features more than 60 TVs spread within 6,500 to 7,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining with a wide variety of seating options. Scotty’s also launched a craft beer brand called, Thr3e Wise Men Brewing, Co. which currently produces about 9,000 barrels a year and a pizza driven menu out of it’s restaurant locations attached to the brewery. There are significant plans to expand Thr3e Wise Men nationwide as well.
Scotty’s has also established an initiative to focus on hiring those with disabilities. Recently, a new mission was established for their 20 restaurants, 2,000 employees and growing: Wise wants to have 10 percent of his entire workforce be employed with some kind of mental or physical disability or challenge. Wise’s restaurants work with groups and agencies supporting this cause all over Indiana, Florida, Ohio and Illinois.
