New auto sales, prices rise as chip shortage cuts U.S. supply
Consumers desperate for new vehicles often paid over the sticker price, pushing the average sales price in June above $40,000 for the first time, according to J.D. Power.
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Sports bar Champps ends 20-year run in downtown Indianapolis
The downtown sports bar and casual dining restaurant opened in Circle Centre at the corner of Washington and Illinois streets in 2001 as Champps Americana.
Baker turning hobby into bagel shop in Cottage Home downtown
Josh Greeson left the real estate industry to focus on his dream of becoming a baker. It began to rise when he worked at the well-known Amelia’s in Fletcher Place.
Longtime restaurant operator Nick Iaria dead at 75
Nicholas “Nick” Iaria, the grandson of the founders of Iaria’s Italian Restaurant, is credited with turning the business into one of the city’s landmark eateries under his leadership from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
Big Red Liquors expands footprint with 15-store acquisition
Indianapolis-based Big Red Liquors, already the largest chain of package liquor stores in Indiana, plans to close on the acquisition of Cap n’ Cork early next month.
Blo Blow Dry Bar chain entering Indiana with three Indy-area locations
The Canada-based hair styling chain specializes in wash and blow-dry services and special-occasion hairstyling. It has more than 100 locations, but none in Indiana so far.
Award-winning Indianapolis chef Greg Hardesty dies at 52
Hardesty, described as “the godfather of the Indianapolis culinary scene,” is widely credited with having launched the careers of numerous Indianapolis chefs who went on to open their own restaurants.
Some used vehicles now selling for more than original sticker price
In the past year, used vehicle prices on average have climbed 30%, according to Black Book, which tracks car and truck data. That’s created many crazy situations where high-demand vehicles are selling for more than they did when they were new.
BJ’s Wholesale Club planning first Indiana store on area’s north side
Based in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ’s is the third-largest warehouse club chain in the country. It operates 221 warehouse-style stores in 17 states.
Retail workers quitting at record rates for higher-paying work
Retail workers, drained from the pandemic and empowered by a strengthening job market, are leaving jobs like never before.
Sports-team retailer Rally House expands into Indianapolis market
Sports apparel retail chain Rally House has opened its first Indiana store and is planning to add three additional stores in the Indianapolis-area market by the end of the year.
City Market moves forward with rent-deferment program
A struggling Indianapolis City Market is offering a rent-deferment program that could help merchants who’ve been hit hard by the pandemic and road reconstruction. The move comes as the market is looking at its own finances, with plans to ask the city for a bailout.
May retail sales fell 1.3% as Americans spent less on goods
Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by a decline in auto sales and a shift by Americans to spend more on vacations and other services instead of goods.
Instant-delivery firm GoPuff quietly expanding roster of Indy fulfillment centers
Philadelphia-based GoPuff, a fast-growing company that entered the Indianapolis market in 2018, currently operates three micro-fulfillment centers here and plans to open two more.
Owner of Carmel’s Clay Terrace files for bankruptcy
Washington Prime Group, which filed for bankruptcy Sunday, said it may end up selling some or all of its properties as part of its restructuring. The company also owns several other local retail centers.
Torchy’s Tacos, Kung Fu Tea and more coming to Hamilton, Boone counties
Roundup: Fishers might soon be getting a taco joint, an Asian tea franchise and a fast-seafood eatery. Also, a relocated veterinary clinic has plans to build next to a new Mexican restaurant in Carmel and part of a former Big Lots in Boone County is slated to become a new gym.
Parks Place Pub to open in former Brixx pizzeria in downtown Fishers
Parks Place Pub—named after the city’s first bar, Parks Place Saloon—will be operated by three men who will be out to prove they can overcome their lack of restaurant experience.
Artisan marketplace at 16 Tech adds tenants, amps up for grand opening
About half of the 20 vendors so far are already open at The AMP, which has its grand opening later this month. The AMP, a food-and-drink-based artisan marketplace, is on the campus of 16 Tech on the western edge of downtown.
Musk restaurant group reverses course, plans to reopen Next Door Eatery in SoBro
When Next Door American Eatery on College Avenue closed in March 2020, co-owner Kimbal Musk said the closure would be permanent. But the company now says that a transformed version of the restaurant will reopen at the same location this summer.
Food Fridays to begin this week on Monument Circle
In a push to bring more revenue to Indianapolis restaurants as they recover from the pandemic, Downtown Indy Inc. is introducing a new event on Monument Circle.