new journey united methodist church niles mi

New Journey United Methodist Church

• 302 Cedar St , Niles , MI , 49120
• (269) 683-7250
• https://www.newjourneyumc.org/

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Moersch Hospitality is on track for a new restaurant-entertainment venue in Niles

Matt Moersch has had his eye on the Niles market for the past several years, waiting for the right opportunity to open a venue in the city. 

After all, the City of Four Flags is a lot closer to the South Bend market that provides a large percentage of his customers already are traveling to visit Round Barn Winery & Estate , Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant , Free Run Cellars, Round Barn Brewery & Public House or tasting rooms in Union Pier and Bridgman. 

“I see opportunities in Niles,” Moersch says, pointing to the success of Iron Shoe Distillery , Niles Brewing Co. and other still-young, but growing businesses inside the city. “It’s a smoldering fire ready to explode.” 

After considering a variety of commercial buildings in the core of downtown, the CEO of Moersch Hospitality Group eventually settled on a vacant church building at 501 Grant St. that’s about a half mile away because it provides plenty of space to develop what will likely be a brewpub similar to the Public House in Baroda. 

Having last served as home for Grace United Methodist Church, the 12,896-square-foot stone structure became available when Grace UMC merged with Wesley UMC at the start of 2020 to become New Journey UMC at 302 Cedar St. 

The deal to purchase the church is still contingent on Moersch gaining the commercial zoning needed for the business. The Planning Commission already has given the green light to the site plan and the zoning change, and City Council is expected to complete the process at its meeting on Feb. 27. 

If all goes according to plan, Moersch said, he expects it will take about a year to complete renovations to the structure. Among other things, it needs a fire suppression system, HVAC upgrades, a new commercial kitchen, an enclosed beer garden at Grant and Lincoln Avenue, and privacy fencing around portions of the perimeter.   

During a recent tour of the facility, Moersch pointed out that the back of the church will likely be used as the bar area for the restaurant, which will have flexible seating to accommodate live performances. Space overlooking the main floor will be used for offices and as a separate room for private parties. 

New Buffalo church transformed: Beer Church Brewing Company fills pews with pizza and brews

Built in 1953, the church appears as if it could accommodate a new congregation almost instantly with pews, lecterns and Sunday school desks for children that are still on site. Moersch isn’t sure what he’s going to do with those items as well as the old light fixtures and items that would be deemed religious in nature. 

But they will be removed as part of the overhaul.  

“I’m not trying to upset anyone,” he says. “I want to be respectful to the heritage of the building.” 

But after three years on the market, it’s clear that another congregation isn’t interested in taking over the building, he says, adding that repurposing it will ensure its survival for decades to come because it will be cared for and maintained. 

“A church is the people, not the building,” he says. 

The Moersch project would be at least the second conversion of an area church into a brewpub. In 2017, Beer Church opened in the former Water's Edge United Methodist Church in New Buffalo.

Southwest Michigan wine: Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant celebrates 50 years of harvest

The basement of the church spans the length of the building and contains a kitchen that will have to be gutted to make way for restaurant equipment. The remainder of the space could be used for overflow seating ― especially in the winter when it’s too cold for the patio ― or private parties and special events, he says, adding that games also could be installed for the amusement of visitors. 

“We’re looking to turn this into a destination,” Moersch says, adding that the venue will likely need about 40 employees when it opens. 

Without considering use of the basement, for now, Moersch estimates the restaurant will have seating for about 150 inside and another 100 outside on the patio when it’s completed. 

Besides a full bar with beer, wine and craft cocktails, the restaurant will serve moderately priced fare similar to the menu at the Public House in Baroda, meaning starters priced from $10 to $16 and salads, sandwiches and pizzas priced from $10 to $20. 

Though there have been concerns expressed about the possibility of noise and increased traffic, Moersch points out that the intersection already has a traffic signal and every other corner already is zoned commercial. 

The church itself does a good job at containing sound, says Moersch, who has tested the perimeter of the property with a decibel meter while music has been blasting inside. And any live performances in the beer garden would be limited to acoustic music, he adds. 

With the starting line for the project in sight, Moersch is excited for the opportunity to expand the family brand once more. “This is an extremely cool building, and Niles has been very supportive of our business,” he says. 

That’s because the project could be another big step in the redevelopment of the city’s core. 

“It’s a wonderful addition to Niles,” says Lisa Croteau, director of marketing and administration for Niles Main Street. “It’s very walkable from downtown, and it’s going to attract a lot of new visitors to the city.” 

And the investment by Moersch Hospitality just might draw the attention of other restaurants and other businesses interested in finding a spot to grow, she adds. 

Have fun, do good

It was a tough task, but a small group of volunteers recently met up at Ivy Tech in South Bend to make some final decisions for the Perfect Pairing fund-raising event that is set for Thursday Feb. 23 at the Aloft Hotel in downtown South Bend. 

So what beverage goes best with a French curry soup that was devised by Brent Spring, an assistant professor of hospitality administration and culinary arts at Ivy Tech? Though there was a nice California Chenin Blanc wine, the taste testers agreed that the Marigold Chai cider produced by Indianapolis-based Ash & Elm Cider Co. Paired up even better. 

Other selections were made for the other savory selection ― Beef Wellington bites on puff pastry ― as well as the sweet offerings that were devised by Christopher Pitt, program chair of hospitality administration at Ivy Tech ― namely a gooey but delicious Baba au Rhum and a pistachio sponge cake with Cremieux.

We won’t reveal everything that City-Wide Liquors will be offering with those bites. 

But the four pairings will follow an hour of hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. 

Proceeds from the event, which is largely supported by donations of food, labor and beverages from City-Wide , are split between the American Culinary Federation , which aims to support and enhance the education of the Ivy Tech students, and Unity Gardens , which has the simple goal of providing free vegetables, gardening education and social glue in the community. 

This is one of the bigger fundraisers for both organizations, but it was put on hold the past couple of years because of the pandemic. 

“We don’t have a large budget,” says Sara Stewart, founder of Unity Gardens, explaining that the group is largely dependent on donations, grants, product sales and fund-raising events such as Perfect Pairings. “But we still have a budget.” 

Besides the pairing designed by experts from City-Wide and the Ivy Tech chefs, there also will an auction for a chef’s dinner at Unity Gardens. 

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased at the Unity Gardens Welcome Center, at the South Bend Farmers' Market Unity Gardens booth or at this online site .

Opening soon

Mishawaka Public House at Beutter Riverfront Park is set to open Wednesday after a ribbon-cutting event at 11 a.m. The two-story restaurant has a full liquor license and great views of the park and the St. Joseph River.

Expect a menu that's similar to the Public House at Howard Park in South Bend, including a Beutter burger and perhaps a few Belgian-inspired dishes to pay some homage to the city's history. Owner Mark Tarner plans to open a third such restaurant on land he is developing near the South Bend International Airport. Learn more about the Mishawaka location next week.

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at  [email protected] .

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Round Barn announces plans to open restaurant, pub in former Niles church

Published 9:38 pm Wednesday, December 28, 2022

By Max Harden

NILES — A local business group announced its plans to open a new restaurant and pub inside a building once home to a Niles church.

The Niles Planning Commission unanimously approved a petition to rezone 501 Grant St., formerly Grace United Methodist Church, from a Low Density Residential District to Office Commercial District during its scheduled meeting Wednesday night at City Hall.

Matt Moersch, CEO of Moersch Hospitality Group – which owns owns and operates Round Barn Winery, Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant, Free Run Cellars and Round Barn Brewery and Public House – would like to change 501 Grant St. property’s zoning designation to Office Commercial District to accommodate The Round Barn’s Grant Street Pub. Moersch said the restaurant and pub, an estimated $1-2 million project, will act as a spot for the community to congregate and enjoy pub-style fare, live music, outdoor beer garden, and award- winning craft beverages. The project is expected to create 40 to 50 jobs in the community.

“We are thrilled to be welcomed into the community of Niles.” Moersch said. “For years, we have been looking for the right opportunity to bring our signature Round Barn experience to the City of Four Flags and are confident we have found it.”

Originally constructed in 1953 and located on the corner of Grant and Lincoln, the former church features vaulted ceilings, high arches, and stained glass. Moersch believes the unique space is the ideal location for guests to gather and experience Round Barn’s highly acclaimed brand of hospitality.

“What started out as a small family-owned winery over three decades ago has become a thriving group of unique entities, each with their own offerings.” Moersch said. “As we look back on our growth, we celebrate all our employees and customers, both past and present, who have joined us on this journey. Without them, we would not be here today nor see the success we’ve experienced over the years.”

Moersch Hospitality Group is looking forward to the opportunities ahead of them as they finalize details and make plans to develop and grow alongside the community of Niles.

Before the property can be rezoned, City Administrator Ric Huff said a rezoning application goes through a review process that includes neighboring property owners, city staff, the planning commission, and finally the city council.

Moersch said that if the property is successfully rezoned, which could take several months, MHG would then pursue the acquisition of the necessary brew, wine and spirits licenses and requirements for the pub. 

When asked about the potential of noise issues, Moersch said that he and city officials conducted acoustic tests and determined that live events would not cause issues.

“I invited (Huff) over to get an idea of the current acoustic values inside and we turned it up to annoyingly high levels where you can’t even communicate to each other,” he said. “We then went outside and we were still at 55-ish (decibels)at the property lines, which is the level of us talking right now.”

If everything goes according to plan, Moersch hopes to open Grant Street Pub in the late 2023 or the spring of 2024.

“We want to be a part of Niles,” he said. “Frankly, we’ve been looking to be in this community for more than a decade and just couldn’t find the right fit and the building is just finally the right one we’ve been looking for. We’re very excited about the acoustic values here and the building is gorgeous.”

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NEW JOURNEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NILES nonprofit

• 302 CEDAR ST. NILES MI 49120
• United States
• WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NILES
• FIRST METHODIST CHURCH OF NILES

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