Family Dinner : Keeping family-restaurant legacies alive and now

Admit it: Most people reading this have had a fleeting moment when they fantasized “It would be so cool to open my own restaurant….” For second- and third-generation restaurateurs, that dream is a reality—but one they entered into with eyes wide open. For many of them, the family business was a second home, staff was their extended family and a love for the lifestyle became entrenched within them.

Central Indiana has a rich history of entrepreneurial families that developed beloved and well-known eateries. Often pioneers in the industry, these flagship restaurants served as training grounds for the owners’ children. Today, patrons of restaurants now owned by these offspring enjoy the results of lessons learned from growing up in the industry.

LESSONS LEARNED

“My grandfather opened Clancy’s Hamburgers in 1965,” sayas Noblesville native Blake Fogelsong. “It was innovative at the time and was the first double drive thru fast-food restaurant in the Midwest. In 1982, my dad opened Grindstone Charley’s, which began our company’s growth into full-service restaurants. In 1990, my dad and grandfather converted a second Clancy’s Hamburgers location into Michaelangelo’s Italian Bistro.”

Now as the owner and director of operations of Clancy’s Inc., Fogelsong has an appreciation for what he learned in childhood. Family time was restaurant time. As he grew up, he couldn’t help but absorb all the seemingly small specifics that separate good restaurants from wonderful ones.

“I have great memories of going to visit all the restaurants as a family. We would go out to dinner at the different restaurants two or three times a week. I learned from my dad what things you need to be looking for when visiting stores. It’s the little details of checking on the landscaping when you’re pulling into the parking lot, all the way down to the salt and pepper shakers being aligned on the tables properly,” he says.

Blake Fogelsong

Kurt Cohen

JUST ANOTHER EMPLOYEE

Kurt Cohen’s father opened the first Arni’s in the Market Square Shopping Center in Lafayette when he was 5 years old. Two other Arni’s were opened a few years later; one in downtown Lafayette and another in southern Indiana. By the time Kurt was 14, along with several of his friends, he was working at the Market Square location. From the start, he received no special treatment, even though he was the son of the boss.

“My dad warned me, ‘Don’t embarrass us,’” laughs Cohen, who now along with his brother Brad owns the many Arni’s restaurants that span Indiana. “He made it clear, I was just an employee and like anyone else who worked there, I started at minimum wage. My daughter turns 14 next week and when she starts working, it will also be for minimum wage. But very few people today start off like that. Everyone needs help in this market—it has forced the starting rate up. Business is good and restaurants are struggling to maintain a full labor force.”

Fogelsong recalls, “When I was 12 or 13 I began busing tables at Michaelangelo’s Italian Bistro. That eventually evolved to working all through high school as a host, server and cook. I learned every position in the restaurant business.”

OTHER CHALLENGES TODAY

Restaurants today face trials that years ago were not an issue. In the days before big chains had seemingly unlimited budgets for marketing campaigns, family-owned establishments didn’t have to compete against a variety of choices. Another aspect they must deal with today is social media. A vehicle such as Yelp can help get the word out but one negative review can have unfortunate consequences.

“As a kid, I was very proud of my dad’s restaurant. We were a big fish in a small town. Casual dining wasn’t a thing yet. And then, in the mid-’80s, my dad got competition. Not food wise—our pizza was great—but in terms of people’s choices and time,” says Cohen.

“Some of the struggles and challenges we faced when I was growing up were the competition of big chain restaurants. My grandfather dealt with chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s. When my dad began to grow the full-service side in the 1990s we dealt with more full-service chains like Applebee’s and O’Charley’s. To counteract it, we really strived to brand our company as local and family,” says Fogelsong.

HONOR THE PAST

When new generations put input into family restaurants, there is a wish to put a modern spin on certain aspects yet keep the memory of what it was originally like. Long-term customers love and expect the chance to reminisce about past celebrations and good times had. Arni’s still uses their original slogan, “Meet you at Arni’s.” And although the legacy of Arni’s is pizza, its menu has expanded to include healthy and up-to-date offerings that the restaurantgoer of today expects.

Fogelsong concurs, “The first restaurant I opened was in July 2018, Grindstone Public House in Noblesville. It was really a tribute to Grindstone Charley’s, which closed in 2004. We wanted to bring the nostalgic factor that people come to love about our restaurant concepts. The “Clancy’s Topper” that was the original burger at my grandfather’s restaurant is featured on the menu.”

LOVE FOR THE BUSINESS

Something that all restaurant families seem to have in common is a genuine love for the industry. Although offspring sometimes flex their wings and try something different, they often return to the life they know best. Cohen tried his hand in the banking and brokerage industry before taking a job with Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago. After opening two restaurants for the company, he realized he truly enjoyed the inner workings of the food service business.

“My dad said, ‘Since you love it so much, why don’t you come work with me?’ I hadn’t even thought about working in the restaurant industry long term until my dad asked me to join him,” marvels Cohen.

“After growing up in the business I really learned to love it and couldn’t see myself doing anything else besides working in restaurants,” agrees Fogelsong. “When I was growing up, I really wanted to be an actor. I realized that there is a bit of show business in the restaurant business and I really enjoy that!”

Unlike those who merely daydream about owning a restaurant, Cohen and Fogelsong are living it. Grateful to those who came before them, they also have no illusions about what it’s all about. The pride of working hard to have a successful business is in their blood.

THEN & NOW

First Flagship Restaurant / Restaurants Today

• Cohen Family: 1965 Arni’s at Market Square, Lafayette / 18 Arni’s locations across Indiana
• Fogelsong Family: 1965 Clancy’s Hamburgers, Noblesville / Seven restaurants in Indianapolis and Noblesville

Childhood Favorite Dish / Adult Favorite Dish

• Kurt Cohen: Pepperoni Pizza / Pepperoni Pizza
• Blake Fogelsong: Clancy’s Topper / Ahi Tuna

Advice Received / Advice Will Give

• Kurt Cohen: Employees are as important as the customers / Encourage employees to stay by treating them well.
• Blake Fogelsong: Keep my focus, intensity and concentration / Follow your passion and do what you love.

Find more information and locations for Arni’s at MeetMeAtArnis.com

Find more information and locations of the Clancy’s Inc. Restaurants at ClancysInc.com