The Yard at Fishers District snags Ohio eatery

When Thad and Jessica Kittrell opened their first restaurant, their goal was to never open more than one.

Now, the fourth 101 Beer Kitchen—and the first in Indiana—is slated to hit Fishers in October.

Columbus, Ohio-based 101 Beer Kitchen will be part of the 18-acre The Yard at Fishers District, a Thompson Thrift mixed-use development under construction at the southeast corner of 116^th Street and Ikea Way. The eatery will be located at 9708 District North Drive, west of Sangiovese Ristorante and north of 1933 Lounge.

Restaurants in the District are expected to begin opening in the fall.

“It felt comfortable for us, being our first city away from our own home,” co-founder Jessica Kittrell said of opening at the District. “We think that they’re really bringing an exciting thing to an area that offers a family demographic which is what we look for. We are a family-friendly restaurant.”

101 Beer Kitchen, described by its owners as a gastropub, first opened in Dublin, Ohio, in 2012. Since then, the Kittrells have opened two more, one in Westerville, Ohio, and the other in Gahanna, Ohio. All are suburbs of Columbus.

Although the couple intended to limit themselves to one restaurant, the needs of their employees convinced them to grow. "Great employees are really looking for opportunities for advancement and to grow in their own careers," she said. "We really didn’t have that for them with one location. My husband and I committed to slow, steady growth.”

In Fishers, the eatery will occupy 4,400 square-feet plus an additional 500 square-feet of outdoor space, which will be enclosed in the winter to offer seating year round. Altogether, the restaurant will be able to seat 180.

About 55 people will be employed at the new restaurant, including an executive chef and two sous-chefs, which is standard for each location.

Jessica Kittrell describes the atmosphere of 101 Beer Kitchen as homey, neat and clean. The rustic feel with paneled windows and comfortable booths offer a relaxed setting, she said.

“Our guests definitely tend to stay a while,” Jessica Kittrell said. “We like people to feel at home when they come.”

101 Beer Kitchen offers 20 draft beers on tap, with the list changing often. Since opening in October of 2012, over 5,000 different drafts have been served, Jessica Kittrell said.

“We love just finding new and exciting things to get geeked up about,” she said. “We like to say that we’re not beer snobs, we’re beer geeks.”

The Kitchen will also serve wine, cocktails and other hard liquors.

The menu will be similar to the other locations and will change quarterly. Kittrell said the seasonal menu is updated in January, March, September and June. The kitchen also serves soup, salads, burgers and pizza. Some menu items on this summer’s menu include Ale & Cheddar Soup, Lobster Bisque, Crab Cake Lettuce Wraps and Salmon Grapefruit Salad.

The restaurant also offers a brunch menu and a kids menu.

It will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.