Traffic flows outside Jack's Bar and Grill on US 31 in Lakeville on Monday, Aug. 18, 2014. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN
The town of Lakeville is known by many as one of those tiny communities that drivers pass through on the way to or from Indianapolis — something that will change Thursday when the new U.S. 31, which will bypass the town, opens for traffic.
Denny Hardy, owner of Jack’s Bar and Grill in Lakeville, thinks his restaurant will continue to see business, no matter if U.S. 31 traffic is going past his front door or looping outside of town.
“Most of our customers here are regulars,” Hardy said. “We get maybe just a few people a week that stop in when they’re passing through.”
Hardy said he’s spoken with a few of those who regularly drive through the town on their commutes. They plan on continuing to stop for a bite to eat, he said, even if they have to drive out of their way.
"There's only a few, but they're very good people," he said. "They've assured us they'll still come through Lakeville."
Hardy has an optimistic view of the future of the town without the heavy traffic from U.S. 31.
Copyright © 2024, South Bend Tribune