How Stacked Pickle Perfected the Neighborhood Sports Bar

In 2010, the first Stacked Pickle bar-and-grill concept opened in Indianapolis. Eight years later, it has not only become one of the city’s favorite sports bars, but its success has been replicated in eight other locations throughout the greater Indianapolis area. Now, its owner and CEO, who happens to be a Superbowl champion and former Indianapolis Colt, Gary Brackett, has his sights set on further expanding this community-oriented sports bar and restaurant through franchising.

Brackett says Stacked Pickle is designed specifically to be a neighborhood bar, even as it expands into new neighborhoods in new markets. The inspiration for creating a neighborhood friendly bar and restaurant can be traced back to Cheers, a show produced by NBC and set at a bar called Cheers in Boston, Mass. in the 1980s.

“Everyone wants a place like Cheers, where everybody knows your name,” he said. “That’s what we are.”

To preserve that sense of community, Brackett says Stacked Pickle is designed specifically to engage with its neighborhood, wherever that neighborhood may be.

“We are entrenched in every community we enter,” he said. “We host events and activities, and we try to be the  place that springs to mind when people are looking to get together with their friends and neighbors.”

Stacked Pickle hosts karaoke nights, live music and even children’s events, and Brackett says that range of entertainment options has made the Stacked Pickle a place guests are likely to visit far more than other bars and restaurants.

“There’s something different going on every night,” he said. “You might come in to see some live music with friends one evening and then come back for dinner with your family another night. People have business lunches here on the weekdays and then come back to watch the game with their friends at night.”

Brackett says sports remains the biggest draw, both for customers and owners.

“Sports is a great unifier,” he said. “The energy is contagious. It’s such a great feeling to look around at a restaurant packed full of people all cheering and high-fiving.”

Of course, you can’t keep a restaurant packed full of people if the food isn’t good, no matter what game is on TV, and that’s where Brackett says Stacked Pickle really stands out from other sports bars.

“Our food is amazing. That’s probably our biggest differentiator,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in our food, and customers can tell the difference. Every ingredient is fresh, and we craft everything on each item to make sure it’s perfect. Plus, the menu has a lot of variety, so no one is going to have a hard time finding something they like.”

One of the menu’s biggest draws is the brand’s namesake, hand-breaded and fresh Fried Pickles that Brackett says customers go crazy for. The “Stacked” in the name refers to the way the restaurant approaches all of its offerings: “stacked high with everything you want,” Brackett said.

“That applies to our service, as well,” he continued. “Everything we do, we go the extra mile, and that’s part of what keeps customers coming back — they know they are being taken care of.”

Stacked Pickle’s slogan is “In here, it’s always game time,” and Brackett says the phrase has become a sort of motto for the staff.

“The game-time mentality goes beyond sports,” Brackett said. “We have the opportunity to host our friends and neighbors, serve them a meal and show them a great time. We’re always communicating to our staff what an honor that is. The bottom line is, we want everyone who walks into one of our restaurants to leave happier than when they came in.”