Downtown Elkhart getting new restaurant in a familiar spot

Dave Ullery is no stranger to the restaurant business and soon he’ll have a new twist on the business.

Ullery hopes to open Pumpernickel’s Pretzel Bakery on March 18 at 500 S. Main St.

It’s the same place he’s been for a while. He had Pumpernickel’s Deli there, which he closed in 2008. He still does catering and hosts a few groups there. But his new place has a new theme.

Ullery also operated The Apple Tree in Dunlap for many years. A few months ago, he and his wife were talking about ideas. They were baking pretzels. A concept was born.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays for lunch. Sandwiches, such as the pulled chicken sandwich shown in the photo, will be served on pretzel rolls. Something like that will cost you $5 or $6.

Soup will be available in pretzel bread bowls. Salads will also be on the menu. And a pretzel and sauce will cost you about $2.95, he said. He’s also planning to serve cheesy potato soup similar to what he used to serve, but closer to the original recipe of the Center Court Deli soup that had a large following when it was available at University Park Mall.

He’s hoping to do downtown deliveries, perhaps of boxes of fresh-baked pretzels.

The dining room will have photos from early slapstick comedy stars such as Charlie Chaplin.

You should know that The Elkhart Truth office is a block from this building. I think the concept is ready-made for hungry journalists and other staff members here.

The location on the ground floor of the old Elkhart Hotel building has had a number of restaurants. The Tea Room was popular for many, many years. Will a pretzel place do well there? We’ll see.

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