Photo by Tony Valainis
Welcome to the first installment of The Feed for 2025! The end of the year and beginning of a new one is always a time of significant turnover in the restaurant biz, and between that and our pause for the holidays, we have a lot of openings and closures to run through. (After reading, if you noticed that I missed one, please do drop me a line at ebatey@indianapolismonthly.com.)
I’m already looking forward to seeing you back here next week for our usual mix of updates, news, and scoops. And remember, you can make sure you’ll never miss The Feed by subscribing to The Dish, IM’s weekly food and dining newsletter. Now let’s get into it!
End-of-year Indianapolis restaurant closures:
After a little more than two years in business, Big Bear Biscuits has shuttered its location at 3905 E. 96th St., the shop announced via a sign on its door and confirmed in a January 4 Facebook post. According to the sign, increases in rent and a decline in sales prompted the closure. Its location in Brownsburg (773 E. Main St.) remains open.
Broad Ripple bar the Casba closed for good in late December, the bar announced via Instagram. Opened in 1984, the live music spot’s abrupt shuttering left residents and neighbors stunned and mourning; Black Indy Live noted the spot hosted “the longest-running reggae night in Indiana,” among other landmarks. The full cause of the closure remains unknown.
Gallery Pastry will close its last shop on January 12. The company shut down its downtown and 16th Street locations last year and said in a press release that owner Alison Keefer decided to close its final spot at 4573 N. College Ave. to give her “time to focus on my three very young boys, my family and my health.” The businesses have been plagued with allegations of misconduct and worker exploitation in recent months, claims which Keefer told the Star are “slanderous and baseless.”
Ohio-based chain Matt the Miller’s shut its location at Carmel’s City Center after 13 years, the Star notes. In a post on its Google Business profile (of all places!), the company wrote on December 30 that “Carmel will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we will forever cherish the moments and connections we’ve built here.”
Fast casual chain Qdoba Mexican Grill closed its 9 N. Meridian St. spot at the end of 2024 after 25 years serving its private equity–owned dishes to diners presumably unaware that Indy has a multitude of fantastic, homegrown, Latinix-owned restaurants to enjoy. The IBJ notes that this leaves the entire first floor of the storied King Cole building vacant (how storied? Allow us to explain) but arguably gives the long-delayed plan to transform the building into a Motto hotel one less excuse to not pick up the pace on the revamp.
Scarlet Lane Brewing, that horror-themed local mini-chain of breweries that once boasted four Indy-area locations, has shuttered its last remaining outpost. Via Facebook, the once-vaunted brewery said its original McCordsville spot would close on New Year’s Eve due to owner Eilise Lane’s “sudden health changes” and “very soft service industry market.” The sale of the 4-acre property, buildings, and equipment at 7724 Depot St. is said to be imminent.
Exciting new Indianapolis restaurants and food businesses to check out:
In 2021, food writer G. Daniela Galarza explained in the pages of the Washington Post why referring to certain foods as “exotic” “reinforces xenophobia and racism.” It’s a good piece—you should read it if you haven’t! So it’s with a bit of a wince that I alert you to the opening of Exotic Snacks Indy at 14300 Mundy Dr. in Noblesville, which promises “Unique snacks you won’t find anywhere else!” Based on its social media, those snacks appear to be from Asian and European countries, as well as from spots in the Arab world. As Galarza wrote, “What’s ‘exotic’ to you isn’t ‘exotic’ to my neighbor, might not be ‘exotic’ to my mom, probably wouldn’t be ‘exotic’ to my best friend,” so while I wish this seemingly homegrown small business the best, I’m hopeful the owners consider how many of their fellow Hoosiers might not find their offerings “exotic” at all.
As we teased back in August, Fire and Ice Cafe has opened in the Windmere Center at 6211 Allisonville Rd. IM contributor Brian Garrido tells me the bakery and bistro from area resident Lara Cooney seeks to be a destination for the gluten free, as both of her kids have Celiac disease. According to Brian, at present the spot serves breakfast and lunch in “a bistro-like space for diners with a fireplace, a handwritten blackboard menu and table service.” No website yet, just an Instagram and a Toast page listing some of the menu items. According to the Star, hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday.
Fluff Bake Shop celebrated its grand opening in Noblesville on January 2. There’s no website or online menu, but photos posted to social media depict doughnuts, muffins, and panini. (17677 Cumberland Rd., 317-764-2160)
Also noted here in August, Hannah’s Bar N’ Grill, a family-owned “Indian breakfast, lunch buffet, and dinner” spot, has also swung open in the Windmere Center. The current menu boasts a list of classics including house-made kulfi and a jaw-dropping 10-option list of naan, kulcha, and roti. (6221 Allisonville Rd, 317-661-0300)
Milan Pasta Kitchen, a delivery-only pasta shop operating from an undisclosed location, launched last weekend with a menu of “build your own pasta” dishes. Based on the info available on its online ordering platform, orders must be placed slightly over a day in advance, with delivery in the late afternoon/early evening.
South Korean bakery cafe chain Tous Les Jours has been launching franchise locations across the U.S. since arriving here in 2004. Its latest, at Sophia Square in Carmel, opened in late December at 110 W. Main St. Expect pastries, grab-and-go sandwiches, and some very prettily decorated cakes.
The post The Feed: Beloved Biscuit Shop Shutters, 40-Year-Old Broad Ripple Bar Goes Dark appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.