A recommendation at the Heorot was what inspired Joel Savage, owner of Savage's Ale House, to enter into the hand-crafted beer world.
Savage's Ale House opened Sept. 1, offering a wide selection of beer and something different from the rest of the downtown Muncie restaurants, Savage said.
"Our main niche is that we do food late at night," he said. "We know that at other places you can only get a pizza late at night. Other restaurants close at eight or nine, so you can't get anything else after that time."
Savage worked at the Heorot, another downtown business, before establishing his own bar. He said he had found a space where Morton's Pub and Grub used to be, and added decorations and entertainment.
Savage's Ale House's includes a simple menu, from burgers and onion rings to spaghetti, keeping the dishes as economical as possible, Savage said.
"We wanted to make it available for everyone. There are a lot of college students, and Muncie at this time doesn't have that much work, so people are not well off," he said. "We know alcohol is not a necessity, so we wanted to have more stuff."
Savage said he wanted to keep good food quality and offer better customer service.
"We do simple stuff," he said. "But we put the time and effort to have it well done."
Savage's Ale House offers 95 different beers, ranging from the cheapest beer at $1 to hand-crafted and imported beer.
Savage said the bar's sales have doubled since it opened, better than they had expected.
Hai Yong, a Ball State alumnus, said he thought the prices were affordable for college students and that the food was good.
"[Savage's Ale House] offers something different from what we were used to at the other downtown bars," he said during his second time eating at the restaurant.
Savage became introduced to hand-crafted beer when he came to Muncie some years ago. Savage and his wife had moved from Warsaw, Ind., in search of a different job and other opportunities.
"I would ride my bike from my job at Jimmy John's through downtown and I would stop at the Heorot," he said. "I would do a crossword puzzle and try a different beer every day. Eventually, the owner offered me a job at the Heorot."
Savage said he likes the diversity of people in Muncie, which was another reason for adding food to the bar and keeping it in good condition.
"We like to keep the place clean, because we have people who come just because it's nice," he said. "They just want to eat and socialize for a while."
Some of Savage's plans for the future include opening the bar for lunch and introducing lighter dishes to the menu.
"We would also like to get more alcohol licenses," he said. "To offer a wider variety from just beer."
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