ELKHART — Police in Elkhart are investigating an early morning shooting that left one man hospitalized. The shooting also led to a chase and police apprehended a suspect, though the
ELKHART â A restaurant featuring mac and cheese will soon open in Elkhart.
I Heart Mac & Cheese will open a new location between Dunkin and Jimmy Johnâs at 2101 Bypass Road near Nappanee Street in Elkhart. The fast-casual restaurant is structured similar to Chipotle, where customers can choose their mac and cheese, with an additional choice of protein add-ons and toppings. Soon-to-be local franchise co-owner Nilesh Soni said there are over 200 combinations to choose from.
According to the company website, there are locations across the country, including Florida, New York and Texas. There are currently two locations in central Indiana.
Soni has partnered with his wife, Nayna Soni, in running the new Elkhart location and they anticipate construction for the new restaurant to begin in February, with a tentative opening date by the end of April. Soni said he plans to open two more locations in the area, including in Mishawaka and Goshen.
During his years of travel, Joseph Luten said he was on a mission to find what connects humans.
âI was looking for that human trait, that gene that just connected everyone, and honestly, everywhere I went the common denominator was coffee,â said Luten. â. Coffee was the center of social engagement.â
Eventually, Lutenâs travels took him to Ethiopia where he met his wife, Afomia, and dug even deeper roots in understanding different taste profiles of the beverage. Luten also noticed an issue of child homelessness in the east African country, so with the encouragement of his wife, he decided to take a step in finding a solution.
The idea was born before construction at the newly redeveloped Howard Park in downtown South Bend even began.
City of South Bend Venues Parks and Arts executive director Aaron Perri wanted to bring a new and different amenity to the ice skating rink and open green space. He wanted to bring a restaurant.
âWe were thinking something that was open for four seasons, would be family friendly, where a group of colleagues could go to get a drink and something that was local and something that fit the parkâs look and feel,â he said.
The city submitted a request for proposals for the space and Perri said three bids were submitted and considered with South Bend Chocolate Company owner and founder Mark Tarner ultimately succeeding.