Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis-area restaurants that opened and closed in July

Published

1 year ago

August 1, 2024

Indianapolis-area restaurants that opened and closed in July

August’s arrival marks the end of summer vacation and the start of a new school year. The ever-churning cycle of endings and beginnings is nothing new to Indy’s dining scene, which welcomed a fresh crop of eateries while saying good-bye to others last month.

For the third consecutive month, a beloved neighborhood spot said farewell after a 20-plus-year run. Meanwhile, regional chains expanded throughout the Circle City and the North Perry neighborhood received an infusion of Filipino flavor. Here are the restaurants that came and went in July — plus one to kick off August.

Restaurants that opened in July

Mambo’s Cheesesteak Grill, Salesforce Tower

111 Monument Circle Suite 120, mamboscheesesteakgrill.com, opened July 9

While the closure of City Market shuttered the original Mambo’s, the cheesesteak outfit has maintained booths at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and The AMP at 16 Tech. Last week it opened a new brick-and-mortar location in Salesforce Tower. Situated next to the recently closed Yolk location, Mambo’s brings its renowned cheesesteaks and other sandwiches to the corner of Pennsylvania and Ohio streets.

His Place Eatery

1411 W. 86th St., (317) 7990-3406, hisplaceeatery.com, opened July 10

The popular Arlington Woods soul food spot opened its second location at the corner of Ditch Road and West 86th Street in St. Vincent-Greenbriar. The menu at His Place is stuffed with smoked meats, fried fish and classic comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, candied yams and mashed potatoes.

Kyuramen x TBaar Mass Ave

530 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 961-8888, kyuramen.com, opened July 10

Kyuramen, a New York-based chain with nearly 40 locations nationally, opened its first Indiana restaurant on Mass Ave. The Japanese-American eatery sells ramen, omurice and tempura among other Asian-inspired dishes. Joining Kyruamen in the space is TBaar, a bubble tea chain with over 40 United States locations.

Yollie’s Filipino American Kitchen

4141 S. East St., (317) 455-5123, yolliekitchen.com, opened July 23

Cook Yollie Olivares hands a dish to a customer Thursday, July 25, 2024, at Yollie’s, a new restaurant at the Philippine Cultural Community Center in Indianapolis.

The flagship restaurant of Indianapolis’ Philippine Cultural Community Center, Yollie’s brings traditional Filipino flavors to the Circle City. Dishes like tangy chicken adobo, peanut butter-stewed kare kare and banana blossoms in coconut milk offer familiar flavors to Hoosier Filipinos and a chance for others try something new.

Wing Zone on Keystone

5527 N. Keystone Ave., (317) 419-3604, wingzone.com, opened July 24

The Gainesville, Florida-based chicken joint opened its first Indiana location on Keystone Avenue in Millersville. Wing Zone, which sells fried chicken, sandwiches and salads in addition to wings, has nearly 30 locations nationwide.

Java House, Simon Building

225 W. Washington St., javahouse.com, opened July 25

The Carmel-based coffee shop’s twelfth café opened on the ground floor of the Simon Building. Java House offers a variety of sweet signature lattes alongside juice, lemonade, tea, black coffee and select food items.

More coverage: Java House bringing another coffee shop to downtown Indianapolis

California Burger

2831 E. 38th St., (317) 426-3021, californiaburgerinc.com

Speedway-based California Burger’s third location opened in the Meadows neighborhood Aug. 1, serving free ice cream cones for its first six hours of operation. The smashed-patty purveyor also has a location in Castleton, which opened in summer 2021.

Restaurants that closed in July

MOTW Coffee Castleton

6706 E. 82nd St., closed early July

Carmel-based MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee announced the closure of its Castleton location with a note posted to the shop’s front door. The note from the MOTW staff attributed the closure to the end of the store’s lease and said the location would move to Illinois. On June 23, MOTW announced on Facebook the opening of its Naperville, Illinois location, the chain’s second in the Prairie State. MOTW still has three Indiana locations: Eagledale, Fishers and Carmel.

Rene’s Bakery

6524 Cornell Ave, closed July 14

After more than 20 years in Broad Ripple, this beloved bakery announced it “will most likely be closed indefinitely” amid owner Albert Rene Trevino’s ongoing health concerns. Rene’s opened on Cornell Avenue in 2004 and sold a variety of pastries while amassing a loyal customer base throughout its neighborhood and beyond. That community showed out in full force when Trevino’s daughter Olivia launched a GoFundMe to help pay for her father’s medical bills — the fundraiser has netted more than $85,000.

Full story: Rene’s Bakery ‘most likely’ closed after 20 years

Did we miss an opening or closing in your neighborhood? Contactdining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @bradleyhohulin.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis-area restaurants that opened and closed in July 2024

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Indianapolis, IN

When is Indianapolis Colts first pick in 2026 NFL draft?

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8 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

When is Indianapolis Colts first pick in 2026 NFL draft?

Without a first round selection, when is the Indianapolis Colts’ first pick in the 2026 NFL draft?

Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, what selections do the Indianapolis Colts have this year?

With a record of 8-9, the Colts finished the 2025 season with the 16th-best record. However, they won’t be picking at 16th overall in the first round.

In order to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets, the Colts traded away their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks to New York.

So the first time that the Colts will be on the clock come April is in Round 2 and with the 47th overall pick, according to Tankathon.

In total, the Colts currently have five draft picks in 2026. Along with trading away their first-rounder, GM Chris Ballard also traded the Colts’ sixth-round draft pick as part of the trade that brought Mekhi Blackmon over from Minnesota.

Round 2, pick 47
Round 3, pick 78
Round 4, pick 113
Round 5, pick 154
Round 7, pick 230

Now, the Colts are projected to receive two compensatory picks in the sixth and seventh rounds. This would bring the Colts’ total number of selections up to seven.

According to Over the Cap, those picks will be awarded to the Colts for EJ Speed and Joe Flacco leaving in free agency last offseason.

At this time, however, those compensatory picks have not yet been made official by the NFL.

NFL.com lists quarterback, linebacker, defensive linemen, and offensive tackle as the Colts’ biggest offseason needs.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown

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21 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana General Assembly returned to session Monday, and one bill filed by an Indianapolis Republican aims to address crime in downtown Indianapolis. The bill would allow for the state to step in to address violent crime in the downtown area.

“We have had people from Sweden who were killed that were in the military,” State Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said. “We’ve had hotels shot up from outside. People killed on the street, especially on the canal. It’s a beautiful place, but people are scared.”

WATCH FULL STORY BELOW

Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown

Young filed Senate Bill 145, which would give the governor authority to provide adequate law enforcement services within downtown starting in 2027. Young said he would first try to negotiate with the mayor, but if no agreement is reached, Indiana State Police would assume all law enforcement services within the district. The district would include the Mile Square, Victory Field, Lucas Oil Stadium, Military Park, American Legion Mall, the U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial and related facilities such as parking lots.

“Now we are not doing this as a state on the taxpayers’ dime. Since the city won’t be paying as much, they have law enforcement duties. We are going to use some of the tax dollars that the state would send to Indianapolis, and we will hold those back for the cost we have. And hopefully it will be even cheaper,” Young said.

The bill would also allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes committed downtown, taking that authority from the Marion County prosecutor.

Photo Courtesy: Downtown Indianapolis Inc.

WRTV reached out to several downtown organizations, the city and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

The Downtown Indy Alliance was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement:

“Public safety is critical to the continued success and vibrancy of Downtown, and we believe this work is best accomplished when partners are working collaboratively. Over the last several years, we have seen great strides in increased cooperation and communication, thanks in part to the work of the Marion County Crime Reduction Board, as well as the leadership of state and local law enforcement officers.
The results of such efforts are clear — in December, IMPD reported that violent crime was down nearly 8% and overall crime down more than 9% in the Downtown District. As conversations continue at the Statehouse, our focus remains on supporting collaboration and data-driven strategies that contribute to a safe and welcoming Downtown for residents, workers, and employers.”

The mayor’s office also issued a statement:

“This is not the first time we’ve seen an extreme proposal pointed at Indianapolis. And while the City is always happy to collaborate with the Governor and the State to improve Indianapolis, the notion that the State would take over public safety responsibilities Downtown is a step too far.”

Keeping downtown Indianapolis safe following second stabbing in a week

IMPD said they will follow the legislation closely and continue to operate as usual. Young said the proposal reflects what constituents want.

“They want to be safe when they come to our capital city and downtown,” Young said.

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond before our deadline. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Courts and Criminal Law, where it awaits a hearing.
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Indianapolis, IN

Farewell to Circle Centre and more: See what opened, closed to end 2025

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1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Farewell to Circle Centre and more: See what opened, closed to end 2025

As the year came to an end, so did the annual carousel of stores opening and closing around Indianapolis.

Multiple beloved shops, including a giftware store in Fountain Square and a local bookstore near the Devington area, closed at the end of the year due to personal decisions or financial difficulties. Meanwhile, a streetwear shop opened in Castleton Square Mall, and the last tenants in Circle Centre Mall said their farewells before the shopping center closed for a yearslong redevelopment.

Here’s what retail stores opened and closed in December 2025.

Openings

Indianapolis Liberation Center

1619 Prospect St., indyliberationcenter.org, opened Dec. 5

The Indianapolis Liberation Center opened its permanent physical storefront last month to serve as a community space and organizing hub on the near southeast side. Founded in 2021, the Center brings together organizers and community groups to train activists and host events.

“With a physical store that’s a one-stop shop for organizers and activists — including a diverse range of hundreds of books, unique t-shirts, buttons, stickers, posters, and more — this marks a new chapter in achieving our mission of a city and world free of division, exploitation, marginalization, and oppression,” Dani Abdullah, a lead organizer with the Center, said in a press release.

The Center is run solely by volunteers.

Circle City Souvenirs

1 S. Capitol Ave., circlecitysouvenirs.com, opened early December

Longtime souvenir store Circle City Souvenirs closed up shop in the declining Circle Centre Mall, but the Indianapolis spot didn’t go far. Circle City Souvenirs is now open in the PNC Center. Owner Kim White told IndyStar the move was bittersweet, as her store had called the mall home since 2017, but she hopes to expand the business in the new location.

PRVT

6020 E 82nd St., Castleton Square Mall, shopatprvt.com, opened early December

Streetwear clothing store PRVT opened in early December next to the Foot Locker at Castleton Square Mall. Owner Daki Glumac also runs a PRVT location at Hamilton Town Center.

Closings

Tuggle’s Gifts & Goods

1029 Virginia Ave., closed Dec. 28

Tuggle’s Gifts and Goods closed in December after five years open on Fountain Square’s main commercial strip. At the store, Brooke and Ross Tuggle sold Indianapolis-themed gifts, creative works made by Indy artists and a variety of knick-knacks.

The Tuggles closed the business to move their family to Kentucky, per a social media post.

“This decision comes from a place of love and excitement,” the Tuggles wrote in an Instagram post. “We’re choosing to slow down, spend more time together as a family, and begin a new chapter as we move to Lexington, Kentucky.”

Red Dog Books

7115 E 46th St., Facebook, closed Dec. 31

Independent bookstore Red Dog Books closed at the end of the year after low sales, multiple moves and high rent made staying open in its storefront on 46th Street unattainable. Red Dog had just opened in the space earlier in spring 2025.

The nonprofit is preparing for a permanent shutdown, unless Red Dog can find a new space with affordable rent and gain support from the community through donations and purchases, a social media post said.

“This community has shown us time and time again that miracles happen when we stand together,” owners wrote in a Facebook post. “Please don’t just remember Red Dog Books. Help us keep it alive.”

WNS Apparel, Hot Topic, Aeropostale, Freestyle, the Collector’s Den, Indy Jewelers in Circle Centre Mall

49 W. Maryland St., Circle Centre Mall, closed end of December

At the end of December, Circle Centre Mall’s last tenants left, ending a 30-year run for the downtown shopping center.

A handful of stores — including WNS Apparel, Hot Topic, Aeropostale, Freestyle, Indy Jewelers, the Collector’s Den and Circle City Souvenirs — shuttered as a result. Hendricks Commercial Properties closed down the indoor portion of the mall, including the food court, to prepare for construction as the developer begins work on its $600 million redevelopment named Traction Yards.

Traction Yards will include an elevated outdoor retail experience with space for offices, apartments and potentially a boutique hotel. The overhaul is expected to be completed in phases, with the first section opening in 2029 at the earliest.

Know a store opening or closing in your neighborhood? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at amguffey@usatodayco.com.

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