We really believe in sourcing from local farmers and producers whenever possible. Sometimes that means our food cost will be a little bit higher. But we believe it’s the best quality we can get and we know exactly what we are getting. Everything from how animals are raised to what is sprayed on our produce is so important. It’s also the most fresh product we can get, and we’re keeping dollars in our local community while showcasing products our farmers are proud of. This doesn’t just pertain to our food offerings, we have the same commitment in our beverage program. Our syrups and mixers are all made in house with ingredients we can find locally when possible.

I graduated from college with a degree in education, and worked as a middle school teacher for the next 10 years. Somewhere along that journey I realized I wanted to make a career shift. Downtown Fort Wayne was just starting to develop. While there were a couple great established restaurants, there was a big need for something new. So my wife and I developed a business plan for a wine bar. After a couple long years of developing the plans and overcoming setbacks, we finally signed a lease in The Harrison building to bring our concept to life. It was a difficult first few years. I wasn’t able to pay myself, and was putting in 70 hour weeks. Started to really wonder if I made the right decision. After 4 years things hadn’t gotten any easier, and we had to make another difficult decision. The wine bar concept wasn’t catching on as we hoped. But during those years we had started to evolve into something else. Our focus went from small plates to entrees. From wine to craft cocktails and bourbon. And most importantly, developing relationships with local farmers and producers. We were listening to our guests and input from staff. We made the decision and rebranded to Copper Spoon. This worked, and sales have greatly increased each year since. And even through the recent trying times of covid shutdowns and inflation, we are making strides. We’ve been able to hire an experienced, talented, and trustworthy staff and that has allowed me to have a better work/life balance.

Being downtown has its pros and cons. A lot of Fort Wayne’s residents live in suburban areas. Getting people willing to drive all the way downtown during the week can be a challenge. So for us, our best source for new clients is people visiting and staying in the nearby hotels. It’s important for us to have a strong social media presence that provides these visitors a means to find us. More than 60% of our guests making reservations are from out of town!