Scotty’s closes Thr3e Wise Men microbrewery and restaurant in Broad Ripple

Scotty’s Brewhouse is getting out of the beer-making business.

The Indianapolis-based restaurant and bar chain has closed its Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. restaurant and microbrewery location in Broad Ripple, which it opened in more than eight years ago to supply the chain with its own brand of craft beer.

Ashley Merder, brand manager for Scotty’s, said the Broad Ripple location, at 1021 Broad Ripple Ave., closed for good after business hours Sunday night.

She said the other Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Muncie will sell the company’s remaining supply of “signature craft beer while supplies last,” and then rely on a beer menu of at least 20 craft beers.

The Muncie location is a taproom location without a microbrewery. It plans to continue selling pizza and appetizers.  

“We plan to get some new beer in there and keep it running,” Merder said.

Gift cards will be honored at the Muncie Thr3e Wise Men Brewing site or any of the 10 remaining Scotty’s Brewhouse locations, she said.

Merder declined to comment on why the Broad Ripple location closed.

The 23-year-old Scotty’s chain has been undergoing major changes since being sold to Scottsdale, Arizona-based Due North Holdings LLC and Japanese firm Sase Kosan K.K. in December 2016 for around $10 million.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2018. Seven Scotty’s locations have closed since then.

The bankruptcy only included corporately operated stores, including the Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple.

IBJ reported in April that Sase Kosan was taking over management responsibility from Due North and was working to restructure company operations.

Scotty’s remaining corporate-operated locations are on the Butler University campus in Indianapolis and in Bloomington, Fort Wayne, West Lafayette and Mishawaka. Its five independently-managed locations are in Brownsburg; Champaign and Matoon in Illinois; Oxford, Ohio; and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.