Chamber Salutes ... Business of the Year, The Tin Plate

Patrick and Pat Rice, the enterprising partners behind
The Tin Plate, Elwood's 2017 Business of the Year

It’s been a hallmark year for The Tin Plate, the restaurant-bar owned and operated by father and son, Patrick Rice, Senior and Junior. Praises for their service and cuisine – especially their tenderloin sandwiches – generate five-star customer reviews and bring in ever more customers from throughout Indiana and as far away as North Dakota. Most recently, the Elwood Chamber surprised The Tin Plate with its Best Business of 2017 award, presented to Pat (Sr.) and Patrick (Jr.) on November 30 at the Chamber’s annual celebration dinner. We felt fortunate to pin the duo down for what was supposed to be a 20-minute interview, but due to the abundant enthusiasm shared by the two, the interview lasted over an hour. Brevity is not the Rices’ strong suit. Thankfully, for diners who frequent The Tin Plate, running a top-notch business is. Following is the result of our hour-long, sit-down Q&A.

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QUESTION: Did you start the Tin Plate restaurant or had it already been established when you opened?
PATRICK RICE JR. (PATRICK): I bought the building with the intention of taking it from what it’d always been, just a bar, to a full-fledged family restaurant that we could be proud of and that everyone would like to visit. … Prior to buying the place, he [Pat Sr.] and I were talking about buying a building on South Anderson Street to start a pizza place. In the meantime, the man who owned this building called me up and offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse. It was like it was meant to be. Dad and I walked in with flashlights…

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