On today's show I sat down with Perry and Blake Fogelsong of Clancy's Hospitality, a multi-generation, family-owned restaurant group operating seven restaurants across Indiana and Ohio.
The company's start came in 1965 with Indiana Restaurant Hall of Fame member Carl Fogelsong's Clancy's Hamburgers double drive-thru burger concept that expanded to over 30 locations across four states, then declined as national chains entered their small-town markets and the late-'70s oil crisis hit.
After Perry graduated college in 1981, he proposed shifting into "casual theme restaurants," creating Grindstone Charley's, which grew to 13 locations before facing similar competitive pressure.
Our conversation covers how they rebranded toward chef-driven, experience-forward concepts like Grindstone Public House, Grindstone on the Monon, Clancy's at The Garage, and the People Magazine/OpenTable–recognized Fountain Room, plus their upcoming Noblesville hi-fi cocktail lounge, The Pretender, opening in July, and the realities of thin restaurant margins, real estate, and staffing.
If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.
You are going to learn about:
- The Founding, Rise and Fall of Clancy's Original Double Drive-Thru Burger Concept
- Clancy's Shift From Burger Chain to Casual Theme Restaurants and Experiential Restaurants
- Restaurant Margins and Staffing
Thank you to our partners:
Cowpokes
Keller & Keller
Check out these great clips from the show:
01:32 Guest Introduction: Perry and Blake Fogelsong, Clancy's Hospitality
02:41 Clancy's Begins 1965
03:54 Fast Food Expansion
05:44 Competition And Decline
07:45 Next Gen Starts Working
10:08 Casual Theme Pivot
13:12 Building New Concepts
14:18 Hi-Fi Lounge Explained
17:07 People-First Hospitality
20:34 Grindstone Growth Story
25:27 Chains Take Over Markets
27:22 Rebrand Local And New
27:48 Public House Reinvention
32:05 Monon Expansion And Advice
35:40 Legacy Clancy's Survives
37:12 Balancing Concepts With Team
38:03 Grindstone Growth Era
38:55 Pandemic Expansion Deals
40:39 Fountain Room Inspiration
42:33 Design Details Budget
45:43 The Pretender Hi-Fi Vision
48:30 Opening Playbook Team
50:16 Restaurant Margins Reality
56:12 Legacy Naming Future
58:40 Indiana Home Favorites
01:05:16 Rapid Fire Hidden Gems
01:09:13 Wrap Up & Locations
