Punch Bowl Social to reopen downtown location next week
The 23,000-square-foot restaurant-and-entertainment venue, part of a Denver-based chain, has been closed since March 2020, eliminating 91 jobs.
Restaurants
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IBJ Podcast: Restaurants are getting busy again—but don’t have the staff to keep up
Host Mason King talks with two restauranteurs—Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery co-owner Danny Scotten and Upland Brewing Co. President David Bower—about how the labor crunch is affecting their eateries and what they’re doing to try to find workers.
Labor-starved restaurants, bars add bonuses, increased wages to the menu
Local restaurant owners battling a nationwide labor shortage are using alternative recruiting techniques and financial incentives to try to staff a returning dinner rush.
Pie Kitchen to enter Indy market with new concept in multiple locations
A Louisville, Kentucky-based restaurant chain known for its house-made desserts is entering the Indianapolis market, with Homemade Ice Cream & Bakery Cafe locations set to open within months in both Zionsville and Noblesville.
Veteran franchisees bringing Dave’s Hot Chicken chain to Indy
A Fort Wayne-based franchise group that operates 45 Pizza Hut locations, including some in Hamilton and Boone counties, has signed a deal to open 15 Dave’s Hot Chicken locations in Indiana. Most are expected to be in the Indy-area market.
$28.6B federal relief program for restaurants launches this week
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund will provide up to $10 million per recipient to qualifying restaurants, bars, food trucks, caterers, and other eligible recipients based on their pandemic-related revenue losses.
DoorDash offers lower-priced delivery plans amid criticism
Even before the pandemic, DoorDash, Grubhub and other delivery companies had a rocky relationship with restaurants, who criticized their high fees, lack of transparency and sometimes spotty service. That relationship was further tested by the pandemic.
Carmel zoning board closes The GOAT by denying owner’s request
The Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals on Monday denied the request that would’ve allowed for the continued operation of the tavern in a primarily residential neighborhood.
Lawsuit targets pay practices at Olive Garden’s parent
Darden Restaurants employs more than 167,000 hourly workers at 1,800 restaurants. In addition to the Olive Garden chain, it owns Longhorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House and The Capital Grille.
Trailblazing Irvington restaurant closing after 18 years in business
The owners of The Legend Classic Irvington Cafe said “several different factors” are leading them to close the restaurant and retire, including repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
McDonald’s to mandate anti-harassment training worldwide
The change is part of a larger reckoning over sexual harassment at McDonald’s. At least 50 workers have filed charges against the company over the last five years, alleging physical and verbal harassment and, in some cases, retaliation when they complained.
Family-owned Turkish, Mediterranean eatery identifies Indy as best place to grow
The family behind Usta Turkish and Mediterranean Restaurant, slated to open in Broad Ripple by the end of the month, scouted several options for moving once it was forced to close its location in Bloomington, Illinois.
Steak n Shake’s lenders say restaurant chain still owes millions
The Indianapolis-based company has declared itself debt-free, but the lenders say they’re owed more than $8.5 million.
St. Elmo plans fundraiser honoring employee who died after COVID diagnosis
Craig Huse of Huse Culinary, which operates St. Elmo, issued a statement on social media Wednesday night in which he said the restaurant was “mourning the loss of a longtime, valued employee and genuinely great person, who had a huge heart and a glowing smile.”
New taproom set to open in Fall Creek Place
The establishment, A Taproom, will feature a different out-of-town brewery each month, giving craft brew enthusiasts a way to sample new beers without leaving the city.
Soul-food spot Mississippi Belle relaunching after 18-month hiatus
The eatery on East 54th Street needed a complete renovation after smoke damage from an electrical fire. Despite the lengthy closure, its entire kitchen staff is rejoining the restaurant for its April 14 reopening.
UPDATE: St. Elmo reopens as officials say no customers were at risk of COVID exposure
On Monday, St. Elmo reported a COVID-related death to the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
St. Elmo violated public health order last summer, report says
A Marion County Public Health Department inspector found in August that St. Elmo Steak House had violated a public health order mandating closure of bar areas. The restaurant passed subsequent inspections in September and March.
UPDATE: Nine St. Elmo employees test positive for COVID-19
The operator of St. Elmo Steak House, one of downtown’s oldest restaurants and a top draw for tourists, said late Saturday night that the eatery was closing for a “deep cleaning.”
Pier 48 soldiers on as restaurant’s owners brawl in court
The latest salvo was fired by Keith Stucker, an Indianapolis investment adviser who started Pier 48 with Fred Knipscheer, a former hockey player who entered the restaurant business more than a decade ago.