The co-owners behind plans to reopen and expand the old OrthoCity BBQ moved one step closer this week toward plans for a new location that will feature a brew pub.

Brad Sutter and Brad Bibler plan to open OrthoCity Brewery and Smokehouse early next year in the former Little Hawk Guns and Knives building on Warren Street  near the old Big Lots store on Warsaw’s west side.

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The two men worked at Biomet and then Medtronic for nearly a combined 35 years as polishers and machinists before opting for a new career.

Sutter owned OrthoCity BBQ for the two-plus years it was open in the Village in Winona Lake. The business, which includes catering, was good enough that they wanted to expand, but couldn’t do so at the Park Avenue location.

So Sutter closed the operation at the end of September, and the two put their minds together and developed a plan for a bigger operation that would feature their own craft beer.

The two men are now business partners and have been renovating the old gun shop for months.

“We have passion for smoking food and making great recipes and we’re moving forward with it,” Sutter said.

On top of that, they’ve both been brewing their own beer for about eight years.

They’re in the process of obtaining the small brewer’s permit, and on Thursday they obtained a wine-only license from the Alcohol Tobacco Commission during a hearing at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

They plan to have a soft opening in January and have a grand opening possibly in March.

The two men – both 41 – continue to oversee a busy catering business while also working on a significant remodeling inside the 3,700-square-foot building. They are doing almost all the work themselves.

The catering involves a variety of customers, ranging from weddings and weekend football tailgate parties, but Bibler estimates that 40 percent of the work involves serving up barbecue for area orthopedic companies.

While the Winona location worked well, they’re confident business will remain popular on the city’s west side.

“I believe people follow the business,” Bibler said.

While there will be a sectioned-off bar area, Bibler said they plan to ensure the dining room retains a family atmosphere.

The ATC also approved a list of renewals. Those included:

Catering hall: Beer, wine and liquor for Oakwood Resort, Syracuse.

Package stores: Beer, wine and liquor for Lakeview Liquors, Syracuse; Milford Party Pack, Milford; Handy Spot Liquors, Warsaw.

Fraternal club: Beer, wine and liquor for Elks #802, Warsaw.

Restaurant renewals: Beer, wine and liquor for Stonehenge Golf and Country Club, Warsaw; Stimmelators Gentlemen’s Club, North Webster; Time Out Inn, Warsaw; El Arriero, Warsaw; The Bowling Alley, Warsaw; Rozella Ford Golf Club, Warsaw; Maria’s Original House of Pancakes, Warsaw; Susie’s Sandbar, Warsaw.