The first week of May is traditionally Small Business Week, celebrating the nation's 32.5 million small businesses and their contributions to the economy.
Indiana is recognizing the week of May 1-7 as Small Business Week to recognize the 529,000 small businesses statewide. Small businesses employ an estimated 1.2 million people in the Hoosier State.
"This week, we recognize all the small businesses driving our state’s economy forward," Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said. "Indiana is laser-focused on fostering a healthy ecosystem for small businesses, startups and businesses looking to expand their footprint. It is the entrepreneurial drive, determination and grit that has become woven into the Hoosier spirit and vital to the great quality of life we enjoy in Indiana.”
Indiana is recognizing eight businesses that worked with the Indiana Small Business Development Center to start, expand or reposition their ventures. Rockablock in Merrillville will be honored as Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year. Rockland Page founded the lifestyle brand that sells T-shirts, other apparel and accessories.
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The SBA estimates that 99.7% of U.S. employers are small businesses, which account for 64% of new private sector jobs, 49.2% of private sector employment, 42.9% of private sector payroll, 46% of private sector output and 43% of high-tech employment. They also account for 98% of firms exporting goods and 33% of exporting value.
Entrepreneurship has reached record highs in recent years largely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Thanks to the resilience of the American people, America’s entrepreneurial spirit has never been stronger," President Joe Biden said in a proclamation declaring it Small Business Week. "New business applications grew by more than 30 percent over the course of the pandemic, with almost 5.4 million new applications in 2021 alone. More Americans than ever before — including more women and people of color — are following their dreams and starting new enterprises. My administration will continue to support them, build upon this remarkable resurgence, and strengthen the foundation of our economy with America’s small businesses at the forefront."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Round the Clock marks last day in Valpo; Den Asian Bistro, Lean Kitchen and lash studio opening
Last day
Jill Rosenbaum worked there 20 years, Manual Chavez 36 years and Sandy Karch 42 years.
Vui Van Tran put in 43 years of service at the Round the Clock diner that's been serving hearty comfort food in downtown Valparaiso since the 1970s. Many customers have been coming there that long.
"The end is near!" a banner of the door honoring longtime employees reads. "We will miss you all."
Downtown landmark
The Round the Clock at 217 E. Lincolnway closes for good at the end of the day Sunday.
The diner has served turkey clubs, lake perch, shepherd's pie, meatloaf, steak, Greek pork chops, Greek half chickens and pastitsio to generations in Valpo. Families have gathered there after church, seniors for lunch and college students for late-night meals.
It's the type of old school diner where one slides into the booth and looks over a sprawling menu of homey favorites that longtime customers come to know by heart. The specials change daily, lemon rice soup is always on the menu and the pot of drip coffee keeps flowing.
Comfort food
Maybe you order the patty melt, an open-faced turkey sandwich or the liver and onions. The sides include a vegetable of the day.
The staff is friendly. The environs are cozy and familiar. The paper placemats are covered with little square ads for local businesses.
Even if you've never been there, you've been there.
Beloved local chain
The restaurant, known especially for its four-egg omelets and other breakfast fare, is being razed to make way for The Linc, a $19.5 million mixed-used development that will bring three four-story buildings with 121 apartments, ground-level retail and a 300-space parking garage downtown.
Round the Clock, part of a beloved local chain that got its start in Gary in the 1960s, is directing diners to the Chesterton location. The owners say they have no immediate plans to find a new spot in Valparaiso but will keep their eyes out for a new location.
Other Round the Clock restaurants operate under different ownership in Schererville, Highland, Knox and Plymouth.
Coming soon
Den Asian Bistro plans to bring authentic Asian cuisine to Dyer.
The fusion restaurant will serve Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Korean cuisine to 275 Joliet St. Think sushi, ramen, wok and hibachi that's cooked right at the table.
Owner Kevin Gao is opening the new pan Asian restaurant in the former Bin 27 Grille space in the Galleria building off U.S. 30 in Dyer in early June.
It will serve dishes like sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, udon, Pad Thai, Kung Pao Shrimp, Szechwan Beef with Peanuts and Korean Shin Ramen. It has a three-way liquor license that will allow it to serve Japanese whiskeys, Saki-based cocktails like Sakitinis and imported beer from Japan, China, Korea and Thailand, as well as a selection of domestic beers.
It will have a sushi bar with a full sushi menu and a bar bar with libations. One spicy sushi roll will combine the two by coming with a shot of saki to cool off one's palate.
The 3,000-square-foot restaurant will seat about 60 and another eight or so on an outdoor patio.
"Outdoor dining is very important since the pandemic," Gao said.
Fine dining
It will employ about 10 to 12 people initially.
"It will be fine dining at a family restaurant without high-end prices," he said. "It will be like a Japanese restaurant with a Chinese, fusion and a mix of other cuisines. There will be modern Japanese and Chinese decorations."
He's interested in potentially opening more locations across Northwest Indiana, including maybe in Hobart and Highland.
"The market in Dyer is great. It's along the border so it can draw people from both Indiana and Illinois," he said. "It's on U.S. 30 and there's a parking lot in the back."
Den Asian Bistro will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.
For more information, visit denasianbistro.com or find the business on Facebook.
Coming soon
Lean Kitchen will soon bring healthy fare to Schererville.
Adriana and Justin Skains and Eric and Christy Miller are bringing the first Lean Kitchen franchise to Schererville.
"We are a healthy fast food franchise new to the area. All our meals are fresh and never frozen," Adriana Skains said. "All of our ingredients and nutrition information is listed on all of our meals. We have partnered with many local gyms in the area to offer healthy delicious meals to the Northwest Indiana Indiana region."
The restaurant plans to open in a few weeks at 730 West Lincoln Hwy. in Schererville. It's taking over the former Kowloon space next to Dollar General on Cline Commons on U.S. 30.
"We know that the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle is diet. Along with meals, we’ll have a variety of nutrition supplements to help our customers reach all of their goals," she said. "We’re excited to bring this new franchise to the Region."
It will have about 25 to 30 different meal options at any given time, including plant-based options. People can pre-order online or pick up meals in the coolers in the restaurant and take them home or heat them up there if they wish to dine in.
Meal options will include wraps, teriyaki and rice, backyard burgers, salads and stuffed peppers. It will have a lot of different varieties of chicken or seafood with rice, as well as protein muffins, protein donuts and protein powders. It will focus on grab-and-go and people can call in orders ahead of picking them up.
"We'll cook everything in-house," Eric Skains said. "It's a meal prep concept where the meals on basically proportioned. All the nutritional information is on our labels: calories, fat, carbs and allergies. We'll have some gluten-free items, low-carb items a variety of items."
The Missouri-based chain caters to people with a variety of health and fitness goals.
"Some people want to lose weight. Others want to gain weight and build muscle," he said. "If they're new to it we can sit down with them and tell them what they should be eating."
The Skains looked at several different healthy fast food franchise options before deciding that Lean Kitchen was the best-tasting one.
"We had a chance to meet with several of the franchises and the taste of the flood just blew us away," he said. "We went to the headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri, about an hour north of Kansas City. The food was phenomenal. There's nothing fried, no heavy grease, no open flames."
The former Kowloon space was bigger than what they needed but they liked the location.
"We live in Schererville and are pretty active in Schererville and wanted to stay in the Schererville," he said. "It's visible and easy to get to at the main crossing of Cline Avenue and U.S. 30. There are gyms across the street."
It's a 4,000-square-foot restaurant with about fix or six tables and more outdoor seating planned. It now has eight employees and is still hiring a few more part-time workers.
The owners hope to open more locations in Northwest Indiana in the future.
"We're planning to expand with Schererville being the main hub with a commercial kitchen," he said. "The others would be retail-only sites with meals and supplements. The next location would be Valparaiso hopefully. We'd like to open four to five in Northwest Indiana."
They plan to partner with gyms like F45 and race promoters like Hometown Happenings to reach an audience of fitness and health enthusiasts.
"Anyone who's into tasty, healthy food that convenient should give us a try," she said. "We basically do people's meal prepping for them. Some people cook big batches so they can eat healthy stuff every day, but chicken, rice and broccoli gets old and boring. We do that for you and offer a lot more variety."
The restaurant expects to open on May 16 and take preorders on May 9.
Lean Kitchen will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon until 4 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 219-227-8477, visit leankitchenco.com/Schererville or find the business on Facebook or Instagram.
Coming soon
Sugaring NYC Organic Waxing & Lash Studio plans to open in Schererville, where it leased 1,357 square feet at 717B Main Street.
The business offers 40 different waxing treatments. It uses all-organic ingredients like lemon juice, water and sugar.
“This is a perfect co-tenant for the center. With their being a salon and nail store on both sides, this center is a one-stop shop for all beauty needs” said Myles Rapchak of Latitude Commercial who represented the landlord. “Alberts brings the ideal clientele for Sugaring, so it really is a win-win for both the landlord and tenant. We are very excited to have them long-term in the center.”
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Joseph S. Pete
Business Reporter
Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military.
