HEAVY STEAKS: As we teased way back in early 2024, local mini-chain Harmony Steakhouse has launched downtown on the ground floor of 220 N. Meridian St. The company began with a single location in Whitestown and is the brainchild of Ren Yang, who immigrated from China to the U.S. in 2001, the Star noted in a report from 2020. The latest outpost of the Japanese-style hibachi spot joins locations on the far south side and in Greenwood, with a Carmel restaurant planned for the near future.
VEGAN PIVOT: Canal-adjacent plant-based restaurant Burgeezy (335 W. 9th St.) will shut its doors on September 13, but owners say that won’t be the end for the meatless burger spot. They’re flipping the company to an operation called Burgeezy At Home, which offers shipping and delivery of its seasonings and sauces.
BIG LITTLE DREAMS: Mirror Indy has a great profile of chef Neeti Chaudhri, who took over SoBro restaurant Little India (653 E. 52nd St.) in late 2023. The spot has transformed into a dining destination, and it’s a family affair. “My family is wonderful,” Chaudhri says. “My husband [Nikhil], brother [Dr. Ashish Thapar], and sister-in-law Bhavana Thapar are co-owners. Bhavana does all of our social media, and I love her for it. My parents, Anita and Anil Thapar, are here a lot.”
GOOD LORD: For 20 years, Lord Ashley’s Pub & Eatery was a Lawrence standby known for its early bird specials and Saturday karaoke nights. But the screens went dark there on Sunday, as owner Scott Estridge has headed into retirement and sold the business. Expect the bar at 11703 Pendleton Pike to reopen as a sports bar with “lots of TVs and video games,” the departing business announced on Facebook, noting that the new owner is “keeping our employees at least for now and we hope that will continue.” (H/T Indy Star)
GRAND OPENING: Wow, that was fast! Back in March, I told you about country star Clayton Anderson’s plans for the old Hard Rock Cafe space at 47-49 S. Meridian St., and now here I am announcing its grand opening! Back then, it was monikered Clayton’s Honky Tonk, but if WTHR is to be trusted, the business has been renamed Clayton’s Country Bar. But the general plan appears the same, with the Bedford-born musician promising, “We’re gonna have live country music. We’re gonna give our local bands, regional bands … a stage to perform.” An as-yet unspecified menu of food and drinks is also on offer at the 21+ venue, which will celebrate its grand opening on Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
FUNKY FORT WAYNE: I’ve had a soft spot for Fort Wayne since featuring them in our Destination Dining package this year, especially after locals showed me how incredibly cool the northeastern town has gotten in recent years. Now the city’s downtown drinking and dining scene will get a boost, WFFT reports, with the city council considering loosening restrictions on some riverfront bars and restaurants in an effort to “attract new entertainment venues and encourage economic growth.” But not everyone in the town is stoked about the changes, which include dramatically reduced prices for liquor licenses in a small, specific area. “[Bars outside downtown] have to go and purchase a liquor license off the open market—which, as we heard tonight, can be about $200,000—allowing downtown businesses to get preferential treatment and be able to purchase a liquor license … for now, $3,500 a year,” City Councilman Paul Ensley complains. The council is expected to vote on the proposal a second time next week. If it passes, it will head to Mayor Sharon Tucker for final approval.
