INDIANAPOLIS — The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly ripple through every industry. Restaurants, and the hospitality industry as a whole, may arguably feel it the most.
Locally, here are the restaurants and businesses that were forced to close their doors due to the coronavirus crisis.
Black Market
The authentic Mexican restaurant on the east end of Mass Ave will be closing its doors for good on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Black Market's owner announced he would be closing this restaurant, and a Fountain Square favorite, "Rook," in a Facebook post in late August.
He said, in part:
"The PPP loans weren't a good fit to save the hospitality industry and that money has already been spent on payroll costs. Debt is suffocating us. Insurance companies refuse to pay out for the stoppage of our businesses. Washington has abandoned us. Sales are slow. And the virus is gaining strength again. We made it through some tough times. But there is no end in sight for this pandemic. This one knocked us out."
Black Market had first opened its doors in 2011.
Books & Brews
The Mass Ave location of Books & Brews is one of the establishments that unfortunately couldn't outstand the coronavirus pandemic, according to the company's CEO Jason Wuerfel.
The Broad Ripple location is also closed but is not related to COVID-19. That location of Books & Brews has been on the market since December.
Boston Market
It appears Boston Market on the northwest and east side of Indianapolis are now permanently closed.
Signage has been removed from both locations, one on West 86th Street and the other on East Washington Street. Neither of the locations are listed on the Boston Market website.
RTV6 has reached out to Boston Market for confirmation as to whether the closure was related to COVID-19 or not, but has yet to receive a reply.
BRAVO
A popular and longstanding restaurant on the northwest side of Indianapolis has shut its doors—it appears, for good.
Bravo Cucina Italiana, located at 86th Street and Township Line Road, has a sign on the door telling customers it is closed.
"We have made the difficult decision to close this restaurant," read the sign. "Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you through the years."
Bravo's Indianapolis location is no longer listed on the company's national website, either.
Brugge Brasserie
From Ted End of Life for Brugge Brasserie v 1.0. As of May 1, 2020, BB v 1.0 will no longer be supported. At this...
Posted by Brugge Brasserie on Thursday, April 30, 2020
This Broad Ripple gem announced it would be closing indefinitely in late April.
Although they're shutting their doors after 15 years at this location, the owners say they look forward to opening again sometime in the future, somewhere else.
Burger Study
Burger Study, located on Georgia Street next to its sister restaurants, Harry & Izzy's and St. Elmo Steakhouse, opened in 2017. It's last day open is Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The gourmet burger joint relied on office workers, sporting events, conventions, concerts, and business travelers — a crowd that has all but been vacant from downtown Indy this year.
"The restaurant saw double-digit, year-over-year sales increases into 2020, and its future was bright before the COVID-19 pandemic hit," the company's announcement read.
Click here to read more about Huse Culinary's announcement to close Burger Study.
Costumes By Margie
It is with a heavy heart that I make this announcement: COSTUMES BY MARGIE is permanently closing. We are living in such...
Posted by Costumes By Margie on Wednesday, June 10, 2020
After being in business for 50 years, Costumes by Margie, has decided to permanently close due to "uncertain times" the business posted on Facebook June 10.
The business was located on Indy's north side, right off of 38th Street on Illinois Street.
The Dancing Donut
After close to six years on the north side of Indianapolis, The Dancing Donut announced it's permanent closure on social media on Thursday, May 28.
Although the donut shop will be closing its doors for good, it will be open for National Donut Day on June 5.
The Dancing Donut's last day will be June 7.
Della Leva Espresso Bar
This Fishers coffee shop announced on Tuesday, July 21 it was not able to stay open due to the impacts of the pandemic.
Duos Indy
Duos Indy, a popular downtown Indianapolis lunch cafe that has been open since 2010, is permanently shutting its doors.
Dous' kitchen announced it would be closing Friday, Sept. 25, just the day prior. The community favorite quoted the coronavirus pandemic and the government as the reason for the sudden closure.
"We are sad to say that Duos will close forever after lunch tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 25. Over the last few months, we’ve witnessed the dominoes of near and dear restaurants falling, afraid that we would join them—but hopeful, because that’s who we are," Duos Indy said in its announcement on Facebook. "But we’ve finally had to face the reality that because of the pandemic and our inept government, staying open is no longer an option. We'd hoped we could give you more notice, but unfortunately, closing after lunch tomorrow made the most sense."
Fleming's Steakhouse
After 15 years on the north side of Indianapolis, Fleming's permanently closed its doors in early May.
According to the business's Facebook page, the steakhouse is permanently closed and is no longer listed on Fleming's website.
Kingmakers
The Mass Ave social club for gamers known as "Kingmakers" announced on Monday, June 22 it would be permanently closing both its Indianapolis location and its Columbus location.
Kingmakers posted the announcement on their Facebook, saying, in part, that the closure was heavily impacted by the pandemic and the recent protests over police killings of Black Americans.
The owners did say they are possibly looking into reopening later down the line and plan to host a Facebook Live to discuss that further.
Kroger
After almost seven decades in business, Kroger announced the Broad Ripple location of Krogers would be closing in October.
The Broad Ripple store originally opened 66 years ago in 1954.
According to Kroger, the decision to close the Broad Ripple location "follows extensive analysis of its financial performance."
Metro Diner
The Metro Diner on the northwest side of the city, at 2258 West 86th Street, is now closed for good, RTV6 confirmed on Thursday, July 23.
The diner submitted the following statement to the newsroom:
"Yes, Metro Diner temporarily closed the St. Vincent’s diner on March 31 and has made the difficult decision to permanently close this location. We look forward to seeing and serving our guests at our nearby Metro Diner located at 3954 E. 82nd Street that is currently open with limited capacity, take-out and delivery."
Morton's Steakhouse
Morton's Steakhouse is another restaurant that appears to be shutting its doors for good.
The fine-dining restaurant in downtown Indianapolis looks to be shuttered up and its Facebook status has been changed to "Permanently Closed."
The Indianapolis location is also no longer listed on Morton's website.
RTV6 has reached out to Landry's Inc. for a response, but have yet to hear back.
Next Door Eatery
Kimball Musk's SoBro hangout appears to have closed its doors permanently.
Next Door Eateryopened in late 2017.
According to a Huffington Post article posted in early April, the restaurant chain cut off access to an emergency fund right before putting about 100 employees out of work.
RTV6 has reached out to Next Door Eatery for a comment and has yet to hear back.
The North End BBQ
It is with great sadness that we announce today, on the 6th anniversary of opening TNE, that we will not be re-opening....
Posted by The North End BBQ on Wednesday, May 27, 2020
The North End BBQ on the northeast side of Indianapolis announced on Wednesday it was closing for good due to COVID-19.
Old Pro's Table
Although Old Pro's Table announced it would be closing for good after 30 years on Thursday, May 14, it announced less than a month later it would remain open.
Situated on Broad Ripple Avenue, the longtime sports bar serves pub grub. Many enjoy jukebox dances, the fireplace, and watching games with friends and family.
Ponderosa
The Beech Grove and Anderson locations of Ponderosa Steakhouse are officially closed for good according to the Indiana Department of Workforce and Development.
Between the two restaurants, a total of 140 people were put out of work.
"This action is expected to be permanent in nature and these locations will be closed," the DWD's report read. "This action is due to the unexpected and significant impact on the foodservice industry directly caused by the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic."
Both locations were in business for almost 24 years.
Rabble Coffee
Thank you all for your support and patronage over the past 5 years. Rabble will not be reopening under the current...
Posted by Rabble Coffee on Friday, June 12, 2020
A coffee shop grounded in the community of the near east side of Indianapolis has decided to close its doors for good as of Friday, June 12.
Rabble Coffee has been serving food and coffee for five years. The shop's founder and current owner announced on social media that she will be moving on and is seeking potential buyers. By Monday, the shop announced they had 40 inquiries.
Rail
The Rail restaurant in Westfield announced it would be closing on October 18 due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic as well.
The restaurant's owners posted on social media saying that the restaurant typically depends on the warmer parts of the year — a season that was drastically upended due to COVID-19 safety precautions.
"Covid-19 has hit us hard and continues to take its toll, as it has on the majority of small businesses," the Rail's Facebook post said. "Winters are always tough for us on Park Street and generally for many restaurants; therefore, we rely on strong warm weather months to get us through. Unfortunately, that was not possible this year due to the shut down, limited capacity and social distancing."
Repeal
The Repeal Restaurant in Fletcher Place announced that it would be closing for good on October 30 after five years in business.
The owners sold the building to 12.05 Distillery, which is housed right next to Repeal. According to Repeal, the building will soon be a mash-up of Greeks Pizza and 12.05.
Redemption Ale
It is with a very heavy heart that we regret to inform you we've made the difficult decision to close our doors,...
Posted by Redemption Alewerks on Wednesday, April 29, 2020
The Fisher's brewpub announced its closure on April 29.
Redemption Ale had opened in 2014. It was known for its hand-crafted ales and creative menu.
Rook
This Fountain Square favorite will close for good on Saturday, Sept. 5, the owner announced in a Facebook post in late August.
The contemporary eatery served Asian-style plates with a consistent bop playing in the background.
The owner, who also owns the aforementioned "Black Market," said the pandemic has struck his company far too harshly in order for them to continue through it with open doors.
He said, in part:
"This is the hardest thing I've done in my life. Until we meet again... wear a mask, eat local, and vote."
Sahm's Cafeteria and Sahm's Tavern
The owner of Sahm's Restaurants announced Monday he would officially be shutting down two of his businesses in downtown Indianapolis.
Sahm's Cafeteria, located inside of the One America Tower, will close for good at the end of October after being contracted there for over ten years. Sahm's Tavern, situated inside of the Gibson Building at North Capitol and West Michigan Street, will not reopen after an initial temporary closure was announced in the spring when the pandemic closures first began.
Ed Sahm, the owner, said revenues had just about completely disappeared as most building tenants closed or began working from home.
Sherwood Cafe
We regret to inform you that Sherwood Cafe has permanently closed. Thank you to our customers who have supported us...
Posted by Sherwood Cafe on Saturday, April 4, 2020
Sherwood Cafe announced its permanent closure on April 4.
Shoefly Public House
Shoefly Public House, a restaurant on Indianapolis' north side, has closed permanently. A Facebook post from the restaurant says management decided to make sure they could pay their staff and vendors, rather than face the uncertainty of the winter months.
Slimm's Pizza & Salads
Unfortunately I will be permanently closing Slimms Pizza. Landlord has been unwilling to work with us during this time...
Posted by Slimms Pizza and Salads on Saturday, April 25, 2020
This mom and pop pizza joint in Fisher's announced it would be permanently closing on April 25.
They're currently having a restaurant equipment sale.
Stacked Pickle
Stacked Pickle is closing all of its restaurants after the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lost income.
The decision comes after Gary Brackett, CEO of Stacked Pickle, evaluated options to reopen once the stay-at-home orders are lifted.
Brackett is a former linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts.
"Unfortunately, the loss of several significant sporting events and a month and a half of business, combined with on-going restrictions and the uncertain duration of this crisis, left us unable to find a viable financial path forward," Brackett said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Studio 2000 Salon and Spa
In August, a 31-year-old salon and day spa on Monument Circle closed its doors for good quoting the weeks-long COVID-19 closure as part of the problem. Still, the core of its closure, they say, is due to the deconstruction left behind by looters during protests against police brutality.
Studio 2000 Salon and Spa owners said, in part:
"As small business owners, we have found that these current social and economic conditions downtown have cut our sales by more than 50%, while our expenses remain at 100%. We cannot operate at a loss and keep our head above water during this downturn in retail business."
You can read the salon's full announcement and statement on Facebook.
Three Floyds Brewpub
The famed Midwest brewery stationed in Munster, Indiana, Three Floyds Brewpub, announced on May 20 that it would be keeping its doors shut long after the state's scheduled reopening date.
Although its brewpub will be closed indefinitely, the brewery will continue to make its iconic brew. News that Hoosier fans across the state can still remain happy about.
Tuesday Morning
Tuesday Morning, the national retail chain specializing in gifts, home furnishings, housewares, and other merchandise, is closing 230 of its 687 stores.
It's part of a bankruptcy reorganization and it means the Tuesday Morning stores near Greenwood Park Mall and Willow Lake on the Indianapolis north side, will shut down, as will a store in Bloomington.
WB Pizza
After 20 years, WB Pizza has announced its closing permanently.
The closure is in effect as of Saturday, May 30.
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Other restaurants in Central Indiana forced to close due to the impacts of the coronavirus include the decades-old Clayton Cafe in Hendricks County. A long-time staple in the small Indiana town.
Two restaurants in Greenfield also announced in July they would be permanently closing as well.
The Ponderosa in Greenfield said they would be closing for good on Facebook, starting Monday, July 20.
"After 35 years of being a family owned and operated business we are saddened to announce the closure of our Greenfield Ponderosa as of Monday 7/20/2020. We would like to Thank ALL of the community that has Dined, Worked, and been with us over the years. We truly appreciate all of you! Stop by and see us Sunday or Monday to enjoy a great buffet or entree."
Florida Cracker BBQ in Greenfield also announced its closure on Facebook. The eatery said they would be open for another six weeks after its July 19 announcement.
Knuckle Sandwich, a Martinsville favorite, also posted a sign outside of its establishment saying August 31 will be its last day. It's been in business since the 50s.
MORE | Indianapolis' restaurant and hospitality industry is fighting for itself — here's how you can help | Coronavirus in Indiana: These businesses are closing or laying off workers because of COVID-19 |
Do you know of any other restaurants that were forced to close their doors because of COVID-19? Email Real-Time Digital Content Editor Shakkira Harris at shakkira.harris@wrtv.com.
