LEADING QUESTIONS: Foodie rebukes allure of ‘Plan B’
What did the founder of Cafe Patachou learn from Butler's Brad Stevens? Why not try franchises? Martha Hoover responds in Part II of her IBJ interview.
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Finish Line launches running venture, reports strong sales
The Finish Line Inc. will partner with a private equity firm to expand its specialty running shops and develop Run.com, the Indianapolis-based retailer said Friday. The company also reported strong fourth-quarter earnings, but its outlook sent shares tumbling.
City narrows field of contenders vying to develop Mass Ave parcel
A midrise mix of apartments and first-floor retail is the most likely replacement for a 1.45-acre Mass Ave parcel occupied by the Indianapolis Fire Department.
Tax caps zap schools in Zionsville; Lebanon district awash in cash
Changes made five years ago in state property-tax laws have strangled the school district in wealthy Zionsville, while schools in neighboring blue-collar Lebanon are in solid financial shape.
Developer, contractors brawling over FBI construction project
The developer and contractors who built the FBI’s new $39 million Indianapolis field office, just north of Castleton Square Mall, are squabbling in court a year after wrapping up work on the project.
Brainard seeks deal on maxed-out TIF
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard might relinquish his political trump card in an effort to refinance some of the $240 million in debt that’s weighing on the city’s tax-increment finance districts.
Penn Arts owner buys historic apartment building
The Piccadilly, at 16th and Pennsylvania streets, will undergo a historically sensitive renovation of its 58 units.
Lafayette Square amusement center closes
America’s Incredible Pizza Co. shut down on Sunday, leaving a 75,000-square-foot vacancy in the struggling shopping center on Indianapolis’ west side.
IU breaks ground on $25M lab building at IUPUI
The facility at IUPUI will include nearly 34,000 square feet of research and classroom space and is the first phase of a planned two-stage project to improve the university’s research facilities.
INSIDE DISH: Patachou Inc. has full plate with expansion plans
Founder Martha Hoover expects to open two new restaurants by the end of the year and as many as six more by 2020, including eateries outside central Indiana.
Anderson baseball-complex plan hits financing snag
Construction on The Farm, a $7.5 million baseball and softball facility along Interstate 69, has hit another snag while city officials and project developers continue to negotiate acceptable financing terms.
Apartment developer snags historic Piccadilly Place
A group led by developer Christopher Piazza has acquired the Piccadilly Apartments at 28 E. 16th St. and is planning a renovation of the 1928 building.
New hardware store tries to carve out niche near downtown
In a city and industry dominated by big-box home-improvement chains, North Meridian Hardware owner Keith Payne hopes his independent store can build a loyal following among downtown’s denizens.
Mass Ave project surrounding Barton Tower gets state OK
A partnership of Flaherty & Collins Properties and Insight Development Corp. was awarded rental housing tax credits by the state that will be sold to finance construction of a 61-unit, $11.5 million apartment project at 555 Massachusetts Ave.
Local Golden Corral locations change hands
Six area all-you-can-eat restaurants owned by Cincinnati-based Frisch's Restaurants Inc. will be sold to North Carolina firm.
Cummins boom drives up demand for apartments
A hiring boom at engine maker Cummins and the economic recovery are leaving many people in search of apartments out in the cold in Columbus.
French mall operator looks to Simon for know-how
Simon Property Group Inc.’s cutting-edge experience as the biggest U.S. mall owner will help Klepierre SA boost rental income at its shopping centers, the French company’s CEO says.
Roundup: Matt the Miller’s, First Watch, Village Cigar, Menchie’s, Jack in the Box
Restaurant roundup highlights: Daytime chain First Watch is headed downtown; Ohio favorite Matt the Miller’s Tavern is expanding to Carmel; and local owners are preparing to debut a new cigar and cocktail bar in Broad Ripple.
Much smaller project would fill former Venu site
A parcel of overgrown bank-owned property with a leaky roof at the southwest corner of East 86th Street and Keystone Avenue may finally be poised for redevelopment: A Wisconsin firm has the 6.4 acres under contract and is putting together plans for a retail strip, a couple of restaurants and possibly a hotel.
Purdue graduate takes top job at McDonald’s
McDonald’s Corp. said Chief Operating Officer Don Thompson, who grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Purdue University, will take over as CEO, becoming the first black chief of the world’s largest restaurant chain.