New brewery opening soon in Sister Lakes

Published 8:00 am Friday, May 19, 2017

By Ted Yoakum

The surge of new businesses popping up in Sister Lakes is showing no signs of slowing down, as locals and visitors alike will soon have another new place to grab a bite and down a pint.

The resort community’s newest business venture, The Strand Brewery/Grill, is nearing the final stages of construction. The business, located on the former site of the Lakes Bowl bowling alley at 93415 County Road, is set to open some time in early June, the restaurant’s management said.

The new brewery and restaurant will feature seating for around 300 people, both inside its two indoor dining rooms as well as outside on the front patio and the beer garden next to the building.

While management is in the process of finalizing the menu, the kitchen will be open for full lunch and dinner service, serving casual American fare like burgers and salads, and will also offer a limited menu during the late evening. The bar will have seven house brews on tap, and will offer a selection of wine, liquor and cocktails as well.

The Strand is the brainchild of Blair Rhode, a resident of Chicago who owns property on Round Lake. Helping the owner launch the venture is his friend Tyler O’Connor, a longtime resident of the Sister Lakes area.

“He and [O’Connor] wanted to have a place in Sister Lakes where they could hang out and have fun — so they decided to build it themselves,” said Marcie Ennesser, the tap room manager of the restaurant.

O’Connor, the general manager of the establishment, brought Ennesser, who has seven years of experience in the restaurant business, onto the team shortly before the project broke ground in winter, she said. Ennesser, who has lived on Little Crooked Lake for the past 14 years, is in charge of hiring and scheduling, and has spent nearly every day at the site since construction began preparing the place for opening.

The brewery has hired around 40 staff members for opening, 85 percent of whom are from the Sister Lakes and Dowagiac area, Ennesser said.

The inside — which consists of a main dining room up front, and a space in the back for overflow seating, parties or receptions — is a modern synthesis of metal and wood elements. The walls, assembled from wood planks, sport the names of each of the region’s lakes, as well as other decorative art.

Paying homage to the popular bowling alley that once stood on the property, the brewery’s tabletops contain a section of the lacquered wood from the lanes of the longtime business.

For those wanting to take in the view of Round Lake, there will be seating out front. Ennesser said they want to eventually sell branded beach towels that visitors can use to sit on the lawn out front as well.

“We are trying to create a laid back atmosphere, so people can feel free to come in right off the lake and have fun, instead of heading back home to change before heading out,” Ennesser said.

Similar to other area restaurants like St. Joseph’s Silver Beach Pizza, Ennesser said she and the rest of the staff are hoping to turn The Strand into a destination for Sister Lakes, drawing in customers from around Michiana and beyond to the small resort community.

“I think it will be a fun place for everyone, both visitors and year-round residents of Sister Lakes,” she said. “We want it to be a place where people can enjoy some good food for a decent price.”

The Strand will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays during the summer. The brewery will announce its official launch date on its website strandbrewery.com, as well as on its Facebook page. People may also contact the restaurant at (269) 424-7500.

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