Generations of region residents ate turkey at Strongbow Inn, fried chicken at Bronko's Restaurant and Lounge, and the Steak Diane at The Patio -- all iconic region restaurants that went the way of the legendary Phil Schmidt's so far this year.
Such longtime restaurants, which had been around for decades, weren't just places where you'd grab a bite to eat. They were where you took your mother for Mother's Day; where you had your wedding reception; where regulars went on date night for years and years. They were where you took the family to celebrate a holiday or a graduation. They were where the story of your life unfolded.
Local politicians hobnobbed at such classic region joints. Senators and presidential candidates stopped by. They were where the Dallas Cowboys or Hollywood actors like Sam Elliot and Denis Farina ate when they were in town.
Even in an age of sprawl and strip malls, Northwest Indiana is still filled with independent, locally owned eateries, the kind of places that were often started by immigrants that still serve relish trays, the obligatory soup and salad, and bounteous bread baskets stuffed with saltine crackers.
But the region's restaurant scene has taken a major hit in 2015.
Beloved local chains Round the Clock and Zel's Roast Beef have shuttered locations this year, in Hammond and Schererville respectively. Several local dining institutions that survived the Great Recession have been hanging it up, including Strongbow in Valparaiso, Bronko's in Crown Point, The Patio in Merrillville, the Bread Basket in Hammond, Rodini's in Michigan City and Kelsey's Steak House in Portage.
B & J's American Cafe in LaPorte, which has roots dating back to 1915, closed at the beginning of the year before new owners swooped in and saved it.
If you look back at the last few years, the Calumet Region has lost even more venerated eateries that had seemingly been there forever, including Sanfratello's Pizza in Glenwood, Popolanao's Restaurant in Lansing, Niko's Steak and Seafood and Boz Hot Dogs in Griffith, Jim Dandy's Diner and the Country Lounge in Hobart, and Johnsen's Blue Top Drive-In in Highland, which later reopened under new management. Other major losses that weren't around as long include Cookery TT in LaPorte, Gaucho's Brazilian Steakhouse in Valparaiso and Northwoods Hearty Home Cookin' & Saloon in St. John.
"It's tough right now for restaurants with the high food costs," said John Golfis, who owns Simon Sez in Merrillville and revived the Blue Top drive-in in Highland. "The cost of food has skyrocketed, especially meat. You can't just go out and raise your prices because customers won't like it."
The reasons for the closings vary. In some cases, the owners wanted to retire. In others, they pointed to aging clientele, an influx of chains and even the statewide smoking ban.
Bronko's filed for bankruptcy after falling behind on rent, and Strongbow's new ownership pointed to intense competition in the crowded Valparaiso dining scene. The iconic turkey palace is being replaced by the popular farm-to-table restaurant Valley Kitchen & Bar in a sign of how much tastes have changed. Millennials are known for gravitating toward worldly cuisine and healthier fare.
Chains have flooded into the local market, especially over the past year. Fast-casual and sit-down restaurants like Noodles and Co., Meatheads, and Bagger Dave's have all opened several Northwest Indiana locations at once.
The fundamental problem is a growing number of restaurants are fighting over a customer base that's barely grown, said Micah Pollak, assistant professor of economics at Indiana University Northwest.
Between 2003 and 2013, Lake and Porter counties gained 130 restaurants, a 12 percent gain. Over the same period, the population grew by only 2 percent.
"There's a lot more competition, which adds pressure," Pollak said. "Some of it's generational because these restaurants serve classic comfort food while younger diners might prefer more cosmopolitan fare, tapas, fusion, farm-to-table and what have you."
But the classic restaurants already proved an ability to adapt to evolving palates because they were multi-generational, surviving 50 or 75 years when most new restaurants fold in under five years, Pollak said.
"That's quite impressive. It's hard to survive that long," he said.
But stalwart region restaurants that once packed them in and routinely made "best of" lists have fallen victim to a broad economic shift.
About two-thirds of the new restaurants that have opened over the past decade are fast-food or fast-casual, Pollak said. Incomes have been down since the Great Recession, and people are less likely to have the cash to spend at pricier restaurants.
People also are working longer than ever and are busier outside of work with family activities, so they're more likely to want a quick meal at a fast-casual place than a prolonged dinner at a sit-down restaurant, Pollak said.
The restaurant market has become bifurcated into high-end and low-end because of the hollowing out of the middle class, said Anthony Sindone, continuing lecturer of economics at Purdue University North Central. The trend is national but pronounced in Northwest Indiana because so many good-paying jobs at steel mills and factories have disappeared over the last few decades.
Sindone's own restaurant, Talullah's Tea Room in LaPorte, didn't survive the Great Recession because so many people stopped going out to eat.
"There's a lot of stress downward these days, and median incomes are a few thousand dollars lower than they were a few years ago," he said. "The restaurants that cater to the middle class are suffering. High-end restaurants are doing very well, as are low-end restaurants catering to not as high incomes. It's not just restaurants and it's in fact mirrored by furniture stores. The Ethan Allens are doing well because those in the middle or mid-range aren't because of dwindling incomes, so they're forced to reduce the quality of furniture."
The middle of the market has been shifting to fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle, Panda Express and Panera Bread, which are inexpensive but are perceived as having quality food, Sindone said. In the face of increased competition, traditional sit-down restaurants have been cutting back where they can.
"Ten years ago, you'd automatically get bread at the table," he said. "Now you often have to ask for it, and it might come with an upcharge."
Anyone thinking about opening a restaurant would be best off catering to either the low end of the market or the high end, where they can charge $25 or $30 for an entree and get a good margin on wine sales, he said.
"With what we're seeing, the days of the 50-year-old restaurants are essentially over," he said. "If you look at the statistics, more new restaurants opening today will be closing their doors in a year's time. They're closing their doors because of all the competition."
Independent, locally owned restaurants still play an important role in the community though, restaurateur Titus Lohr said.
Earlier this year, Lohr and his wife Kimberly bought and reopened B & J's American Cafe, a landmark 1940s-style diner in LaPorte that was known as the American Restaurant for most of the first half of the 20th century. The quaint cafe offers three-egg omelets, home-made soups and melts in a nostalgic setting with eye-catching decor and a collection of historic photos.
"I knew what I was getting into," he said. "You might get $800 a day but you don't get to keep it. You owe $796 in bills. It's not easy."
But a place like B & J's American Cafe can remind people of golden days, keep memories alive and support the community, Lohr said. He for instance was able to give a job to an acquaintance who had been laid off but had a wife and small kid to support.
"I wanted to make a difference in the community," he said. "Small businesses are the ones who care about this nation."