A new restaurant is set to open this summer, about 5 miles north of where it was originally planned.
Campbell’s Highland Grille, a Scottish-themed sports bar with a focus on showing international soccer and local sports teams, plans to open at the start of August, in a strip mall along State Road 135, south of County Line Road.
Initially, the plan was for the restaurant to be part of a development planned on an 11-acre property at the northwest corner of the State Road 135 and Whiteland Road. Local developer Mike Duke planned to build two, 10,000 square-foot strip malls, with the restaurant to use half of one of the building.
Owner and Center Grove area resident Steve Campbell said it was a mutual decision to end the restaurant project at the Bargersville location and move north to Greenwood.
The restaurant will feature standard American fare, including hamburgers, pizza and sandwiches, along with Scottish entrees, such as haggis and shepherd’s pie. The eatery is being designed with an open floorplan with seating for about 135 people and will show a variety of sports games, ranging from the Colts to the Indians, but the focus will be on soccer. The restaurant will open as early as 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, which is when European soccer leagues typically begin their weekend matches, Campbell said.
Campbell’s experience with restaurants began with another local restaurant, The Knuckle Sandwhich, at the corner of State Road 37 and County Road 144. That restaurant is right in the path of the future Interstate 69 route and is likely to be bought out by the state in several years, Campbell said.
Campbell sold his shares in that business to finance his new restaurant, which he plans to spend about $500,000 to renovate. He has applied for a construction permit, and plans to begin the interior renovations as soon as that is approved. Once the restaurant opens, it will employ about 45 people, Campbell said.
One of the hurdles Campbell faced in opening the restaurant was getting a license to sell alcohol, since only a limited number are available. Campbell declined to say the exact price of purchasing a license to sell beer, wine and liquor from an existing owner, but said the market ranges from $50,000 to $200,000.
