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NILES — A Niles business has given itself room to grow.

Last weekend, Iron Shoe Distillery, 3 N. Third St., welcomed guests into its new indoor expansion.

The rest of the distillery’s expansion, which includes rooftop seating, an outdoor patio and additional space to its distilling area, is nearly complete and expected to be open to customers when the weather is warmer, according to owner Howard Tuthill.

The new indoor expansion will serve private parties and as overflow dining seating when no event is booked.

“The inside here is all done,” Tuthill said. “They are just finishing the outside and northside. We are pretty close, about 90 percent finished.”

Iron Shoe broke ground on its expansion this spring, but Tuthill said he knew it was needed soon after opening the distillery’s doors in 2019.

“It was pretty evident right when we opened that we would need more space because from day one we were busting at the seams,” he said. “On Friday, Saturday nights, we are regularly having to turn people away because we just didn’t have the capacity, and people don’t always want to wait an hour-plus for a table. With the space, we are able to accommodate so many more people, which is awesome.”

In its first weekend, Tuthill said the indoor expansion was already filled and a big hit with regulars. In terms of special events, he said the space is booked out through the holidays.

“It’s been great,” he said. “From here until the holidays we have multiple events booked a week. … We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback on the space.”

Tuthill said he thanks the Niles community for supporting Iron Shoe since before its first day and allowing the business to be able to grow to the point of expansion.

“Everybody has been so supportive of everything we have been doing, from an individual level to the city level,” he said. “It has made the expansion easy.”