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A Tinker Coffee Co. cafe is planned at the former Butler-Tarkington firehouse that was home to hybrid cafe/bar Chalet for two years.
Tinker co-founder Jeff Johnson said an opening date this fall is likely for the company’s first location north of 16th Street.
In contrast to Tinker cafes at 380 E. Market St. and AMP food hall in the 16 Tech innovation district, which close in the afternoon, the Butler-Tarkington location will serve customers into the evening.
“This one will have a little bit of a twist for us,” Johnson said. “We’ll be open later and have an expanded food menu.”
Indianapolis Fire Station No. 16 opened at 5555 N. Illinois St. in 1932 and closed in 2016.
Chalet, a concept of Small Victories Hospitality, opened in 2022 and closed in April.
Johnson, a Purdue University alum who grew up in Mishawaka, said Tinker’s business has evolved from its 2014 launch as a specialty coffee roaster at 212 E. 16th St.
Tinker moved its roastery to 1125 W. 16th St. in 2018. Customers can purchase bags of coffee at the roastery, but no cups of coffee to drink.
Cafe operations began in 2021, when Concourse B at Indianapolis International Airport became home to the first Tinker coffee shop. The 16 Tech counter—a short walk from the 16th Street roastery—also opened in 2021, and the downtown cafe on the ground floor of the 360 Market Square building opened in 2023.
Johnson said two new counter-service Tinker spots are expected to open this summer inside IU Health University Hospital, 550 University Blvd., and IU Health Methodist Hospital, 1701 N. Senate Blvd.
Wholesale operations, meanwhile, remain the dominant part of Tinker’s business, Johnson said.
“It’s supplying other restaurants and offices and churches and any organizations that need coffee, which turns out is almost every organization,” he said. “But it’s becoming more balanced, especially when you think that three years ago we had zero cafes.”
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With the Illinois St. Emporium across the street and a Starbucks next door, I’m not sure how this neighborhood supports yet another coffee shop. A lesson the Chalet learned the hard way. They are going to need a full liquor license to differentiate themselves (and better food than the Chalet had…)
Yeah maybe some type of “higher” end restaurant would fit this area. There’s a lot of money there and very few restaurants.
The Emporium is a casual sit-down restaurant and carry out with a full menu, bakery, and catering business. Yes, it serves coffee, but it is not a coffee shop like Starbucks or the “old school” places like the old Abbey, etc.
The Chalet inside space is fairly small for a restaurant, unless they went very high end with a tasting menu and limited nightly seatings. It would require a major and expensive renovation to make the space far more luxe than it currently it is. Maybe, if the space were downtown, Carmel, or in a bigger foodie city, then it might work. The neighborhood is affluent, but it tends to be very family-oriented, and I am not sure there is demand there for a very high-end restaurant.
Doesn’t Emporium close at 5pm? And while I love Emporium, its clientele is very much on the older side. If Tinker can capitalize on college kids and others under 40s in the area, they can get their niche and co-exist.
Yeah, this seems confusing. Starbucks is undeservedly popular. Chalet was . . . fine.
Chalet had a very limited menu, kept irregular hours, gave mediocre service, and was not particularly that nice (for the neighborhood) on the inside.
The Emporium serves coffee, but it is not a coffeehouse (in the sense of a Starbucks, etc.) , nor has it ever been. It is a full-menu restaurant and bakery with a catering business.
Congrats to the Tinker team!
They could easily differentiate by focusing on the bar aspect (coffee mixed drinks anyone?!). There isn’t much competition for that in the immediate vicinity (Byrne’s 4-5 bar seats don’t exactly count).