IU alum to open new restaurant in Indianapolis

For two years, IU alumnus Arec Simeri saw a need for a family Italian restaurant in the Geist neighborhoods of Indianapolis.

While Arec managed Scotty’s Brewhouse in downtown Indianapolis, customers often told him that what the Geist community needed was a homemade pizzeria.

Now, the Geist community will get a taste of Simeri’s signature cracker-crust pizza at the new Simeri’s Italian restaurant, which opens Nov. 12.

“They had chain pizza here, but they didn’t have any homemade, good family-recipe pizzas,” Simeri said.

The menu features traditional Italian appetizers, main courses and desserts, along with 12-inch and 16-inch cracker-crust pizzas. Generations of Simeri’s family have used the same pizza sauce recipe.

Simeri, who studied at the Kinsey Institute and the Department of Telecommunications at IU, grew up working in the family business operated in Northern Indiana since the 1950s. 

While finishing the coursework for his master’s degree in telecommunications, Simeri said the first time he got paid to work at a restaurant was when he began working for Four Winds Resort & Marina and Scotty’s Brewhouse in Bloomington. Later — before he was able to finish his thesis — he worked as the assistant general manager at Scotty’s Lakehouse in Geist.

“This was kind of always my dream since my family had done it forever,” he said.

When looking for the right location for the restaurant, which seats 90 people, Simeri said he didn’t look anywhere but in the Geist neighborhood. Four months ago, Simeri found the building that is still being renovated and was previously a pub.

Simeri said he wanted a small location that caters to Geist community members.

The restaurant is operated primarily by family and a few friends. 

Matt Kwiatkowski, a manager at Scotty’s Brewhouse with Simeri for four years before becoming manager of Detour American Grille Express in Castleton in Indianapolis, assisted Simeri in determining menu prices.

The two also worked together at Scotty’s Lakehouse for less than a year.

Kwiatkowski said Simeri talked a lot about opening a restaurant of his own.

“That was always something that kind of interested him,” he said. “He applied the knowledge that he gained from working at Scotty’s, and we both saw enough of what did work and what didn’t work for restaurants.”

Simeri said his favorite part about working in the restaurant industry, despite the state of the economy, is being able to manage crises.

“I kind of thrive on that chaos, if that makes sense,” he said. “I love when it all kind of starts to go to hell, and you can kind of steer it in the right direction. I love that.”