'A Long And Strange Trip': New Lenox's Arrowhead Ales Marks 10 Years, Owners Owe It To Community & Grit

NEW LENOX, IL — A little more than 10 years ago, Mike Bacon was a PE teacher with a homebrewing hobby. He had yet to become a father, and the closest he'd come to the restaurant industry was as a customer.

Ten years, four kids and two businesses later, the Manhattan resident and co-owner of Arrowhead Ales Brewing Company happily sighs, and chuckles.

"I'll always say, 'it's been a long and strange trip,'" Bacon said. "The quote of this whole journey."

Arrowhead Ales Brewing, 2101 Calistoga Drive, this weekend celebrates 10 years in business—a milestone Bacon attributes to passion, ingenuity, plenty of grit, and cherished community support. Bacon and business partner Wes Cooley opened the restaurant and brewery with little more than a "passion for beer and a food idea," Bacon said.

And maybe a little naivete?

"The early years, they were a grind," Bacon said. "Managing people, running a kitchen, getting the bills paid. There have definitely been moments we thought it wouldn't work."

Arrowhead was the brainchild of the two who had worked as teachers together. Bacon's path changed, he said, with layoffs amid the closing of Lincoln-Way North High School.

Bacon "saw an opportunity to shift gears," and went with it.

The business has since been built on the dedication and creativity of the staff and minds behind it, matched by an indefatigable desire to make it work. Through a pandemic and amid a brewing industry seemingly in constant change, Arrowhead always seems to come out stronger on the other side, Bacon said.

"We’ve built something real here," Bacon said. "I’m really proud of that. We've weathered changing chefs, different curveballs—just trying to run a place this size—comes with a lot of different things you don’t think about, and you just kinda learn as you go."

'We can do it'

Just four years into its operations, Arrowhead Ales faced its biggest hurdle yet—the COVID-19 pandemic and mandated shutdown. People were forced to stay home, rendering businesses that rely on customers in seats relatively helpless.

"... Trying to figure out how we’re going to run a restaurant without being able to bring customers inside of it," Bacon said.

Like many local businesses fighting to survive an unprecedented setback, they pivoted and began dabbling in barbecued meats, offering curbside pickup as a way to bring in some revenue. A full meal paired with beer, to go.

When restrictions eased, Bacon and management took advantage of patio space, placing tables socially distanced.

"The turnout for that was huge," Bacon said. "We were kind of just on an upswing after the pandemic—came out stronger on the other side. That gave us the drive, a renewed feeling of 'we can do it.'"

Bacon has also looked to local ties to expand and market the business. They've brewed beers around fundraisers, special events and charity causes.

Bacon brewed "Keepin' It Teal," in honor of Frankfort girl Maggie DeVries, who died in 2022 at the age of 6 after battling brain cancer.

In 2025, he brewed "Infantry," a collaboration with the family of Mokena's Aaron Toppen, who died in June 2014 in an incident of friendly fire while stationed in the Zabul province of Afghanistan. He was 19 years old.

"We like to do everything we can with beer for a cause," Bacon said.

They've also appeared at New Lenox's Christmas In The Commons as the "Arrowhead Christmas Lounge," featuring Big Lit Kringle, a rich beer themed after the village's giant illuminated Santa. That started, Bacon said, with his inspiration to brew something special for the big guy.

Arrowhead also takes every opportunity to work with other local businesses—Pizza di Farfalla, Fleckenstein's, Home Cut Donuts and local pet shelters, to name a few—for cross-promotion and support.

"... Any time we can take beer and our event space and turn it into a memorable and impactful thing, doing good, it’s helped build our community relationships," Bacon said.

To keep beer lovers happy, Bacon also aims to keep offerings fresh.

"People can see that our draft list changes quite often," Bacon said. "We’re always coming up with new, fun ideas. My taste preference in beer has definitely changed over the last 10 years. ... I really do enjoy coming up with new ideas, seeing what’s trending in the beermaking world—just being creative. It’s my creative outlet. I can get really nerdy with the scientific process and, in the end, have a beer.

"Best of both worlds for me."

On the business side, he's learned some tough lessons.

"Figuring out who you can trust, be wary of those around you," Bacon said. "You can’t be certain that everybody has the same goals as you. ... It’s OK if somebody doesn’t like one of your beers."

He hasn't done it alone, though, he stressed. Behind the scenes, business partner Cooley's contributions have been essential.

"He’s the extremely strong glue that has helped hold this whole thing together," Bacon said. "My problem-solver when I’m stuck on something. I’m more frontlines, boots on the ground, crazy ideas guy. He’s the calm, 'think things out, pull the reins' guy. We’re yin and yang."

Graphic Designer Matt Sharp, too, has been key to building Arrowhead's reputation. Anyone spotting Arrowhead beers on shelves quickly associates the designs with the guy behind them, Bacon said. Sharp has been with Arrowhead since 2018.

"People have gotten to know our overall look over the years," Bacon said. "If anybody’s seen one of our labels, people know that Matt Sharp did it. We are very lucky and grateful that we have him, and we’re the place that has the labels that 'look like Matt Sharp did it.'

"He consistently kicks out designs that give us clean, polished looks, but still fun and edgy."

In 2025, Bacon branched out into barbecue, opening side project Arrowhead SmokeWorks in Manhattan. The two businesses play off each other, with SmokeWorks offering a simple but well-executed menu covering many different styles of BBQ including brisket, pork, ribs, wings and sandwiches. (Find them on social media).

"Another road we’re going down, trying to figure it out as we go," Bacon said."We’re using Smoke Works to smoke a lot of the meats we’re going to feature at Arrowhead Ales. It gives us an opportunity to make beer, market locally brewed beer around town."

'... this place, people really care about'

At a family-friendly anniversary bash planned for Saturday, April 18, Bacon will roll out a beer release, barbecue specials, live music and kids' offerings, including face painting and balloon art.

A dad himself, keeping the setting accessible to families has been important to him. He has seen families celebrating anniversaries, birthdays and other milestones, coming back time and again.

"It means the world to me, that we've been able to build that," he said, of the family environment.

"I’m very proud of the fact that we have a community that has supported us for so long, and I think the reason is they see what we put into this place, and how much we care. They feel a level of comfort here: they know who’s going to be taking care of them, what they’re going to eat.

Bacon can't look back without looking forward. Exciting changes are ahead. One struggle they've faced in recent years, he said, has been turnover in key positions like chef and general manager.

"We had a hard time getting somebody solid to stick in those spots," he said.

"We’re in the middle of a shift right now that’s giving us a lot of promise for some things coming up."

New General Manager Kelly Calascibetta has a vision for manning the ship, Bacon said. Chef Bradley Skoczylas returned to Arrowhead after having worked there previously in 2017, Bacon said.

"He seems to have really found a home here," Bacon said. "He’s putting out the best food we’ve ever had here."

Soon, Manhattan's Round Barn Farm—currently under renovations to become an event venue—will feature Arrowhead Ales as one of its preferred vendors, Bacon noted.

Manhattan officials recently also signed off on Arrowhead Smoke Works' "Pig In The Parking Lot," a sort of backyard barbecue bash that includes the Pig Out And Pace Yourself 5K, hog roast, rib cookoff, family activities, beer tent and live music, planned for May 30.

But for Bacon, it all started with the Arrowhead Ales venture, and he's eager to celebrate the business so many have come to love.

"Because this place, people really care about," Bacon said. "Anniversaries, birthdays, people going on first dates. A lot of the same people, still coming in years later."

As breweries shutter across the country, the significance of a decade in business is not lost on him.

"Ten years in, I’m still brewing beers, here every week doing it," he said. "The industry alone, it hasn’t gotten easier—it’s definitely gotten tougher. People are drinking less beer, styles have changed, a lot of breweries have opened and closed. ...

"This anniversary party—it’s celebrating the whole ride. Recognizing the people who have worked here—I do appreciate every single one of them. The amount of work people put into this place has been very appreciated, and the customers who’ve supported us along the way."

The party runs "all day, all night" Saturday, with Arrowhead opening at 11:30 a.m. and closing at 11 p.m.