Expecting Excellence

For all the success that was earned in St. Joseph County in 2025, it was heartbreaking to learn of the recent closings of LaSalle Grill and Tippecanoe Place. For those who have not worked in food service, it is not for the faint of heart.

In each and every service, being “good” is the minimum standard and being “excellent” is expected. That expectation starts with the experience, continues with the quality, and concludes with the price. Each of those elements cost the business owner, often leaving little more for actual profit.

Mark McDonnell, Kevin Jakel, their families, and teams have earned and deserve a heartfelt thank you from our community. They drove that standard of excellence not only in their properties but in their community as well. Both are leaders in community organizations and the Downtown Dining Alliance. Both worked tirelessly to deliver a great meal and memorable experience. Both believed in our community when others did not.

LaSalle Grill and Tippecanoe Place were destinations for residents and visitors alike. From proms and weddings to graduations and reunions, the restaurants served as a backdrop for so many special occasions that live on in our memories and photographs. Now that they are closed it feels like part of our destination’s experience is also missing. LaSalle Grill’s 35 years of serving our friends, neighbors, and guests has made it part of our identity.

Thankfully, both Mark and Kevin are still helping to deliver that excellence for our community. Thankfully, other industry leaders like Kurt Janowsky, Peg Dalton, and Mark Tarner, among others, are equally as steadfast in their commitment to delivering experiences for our community.

Kurt opened Cascade to great fanfare for our community and is preparing to open Osteria Amici later this year. Peggs just recently celebrated 25 years of welcoming Notre Dame students and families while being a go-to breakfast destination. The Public House restaurants are just one of Mark’s brands as he continues to market our community across the country with the South Bend Chocolate Company.

How lucky are we to have these treasures in St. Joseph County? All our restaurant partners and hospitality workers have earned our appreciation as being good is required and being excellent is expected. Let’s continue to support and celebrate them just as they continue to support and celebrate our region.

That standard of excellence permeates through all we are working to achieve in St. Joseph County. Visit South Bend Mishawaka recently launched a new website to help tell our story about all the great restaurants and attractions throughout our county. We also joined the City of Mishawaka in announcing the improvements to George Wilson Park with the creation of a new year-round skiing, snowboarding, and tubing attraction.

For the event goer, the new two-day country music festival called “Boots on the Bend” will take place August 14 and 15 at the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds. With more than $17M of economic impact expected, we plan to help welcome the more than 20,000 ticket holders each day. Some of them will even camp onsite at the fairgrounds while others will find their way to our hotels.

While we are indeed saddened by the closing of some of our favorite locations and are hopeful for the impacted families and staff, we are buoyed by the foundation they have helped to create. We are better for their definition and expectation of excellence and are confident in our partners and leaders that St. Joseph County will thrive. From special events to Notre Dame’s impact, we have a great advantage, but it takes us all to ensure we expect, deliver, and experience excellence.