GOOD LUCK, CHUCK The last Skee-Ball has been tossed at the Chuck E. Cheese outpost at 10021 E. Washington St., the Star reports. The pizza and party spot was in the Washington Square area since 2011 and made national news in 2022 when an unknown person shot 34-year-old restaurant patron Anthony Tinnin in the parking lot while his wife and child dined inside. Police never made an arrest in the slaying, nor was a suspect publicly identified. The restaurant soldiered on until March 31 of this year, saying in a statement that its lease had expired and that “this location and nearby mall are no longer aligned with our goals to serve young families.”
FROM MOUSE TO OWL Sports bar and short shorts chain Hooters has filed for bankruptcy, it announced via press release, throwing the future of locations such as the one at 25 W. Georgia St. into question. The company says a consortium of current franchisees will take over “certain company-owned Hooters locations” and will seek to transform them to their past glory. CEO Sal Melilli says familiar features like its weekly bikini nights will end, and a focus on charity events will intensify as the buyers will be “taking back the concept, returning it to its roots, and restoring the success it’s enjoyed for 42 years.”
TAKE OFF In a press release sent this week, Huse Culinary made clear that its rapid growth isn’t stopping, with a new spot launching at Indianapolis International Airport today. The homegrown dining company includes iconic steakhouse St. Elmo, Vegas-y cocktail and dinner chain 1933 Lounge, and Harry & Izzy’s. The latter operation has a popular outpost at IND’s Terminal A, but now the business also has a foothold in Terminal B inside the 5,200-square-foot space last occupied by sports bar Champps Americana. Beginning Friday, April 11, 1933 Lounge + HC Tavern by St. Elmo (yes, that’s the name, and, yes, it does sound like a 30 Rock–level snark on ridic corporate branding) will be serving hits from all the businesses included in its mouthful of a name, including “the world-famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster ‘Cargot,’ and HC Tavern’s beloved sliders”—as well as loads of the beloved airport mainstay, booze. Hours will be 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, so you can chomp on chilly shrimp at dawn.
SPRING AWAKENING Corridor, Erin Kem and Logan McMahan’s transformation of the Nicole-Taylor’s restaurant space, has released its second menu of the year. The spot launched in late January (you might have seen photos from a recent lunch there in our weekly social media dining roundup, the Swoon List) and has apparently found its footing enough to shake things up. Dishes like Eggplant Involtini, Strawberry & Beet Salad, and Pacifico Bass rolled out last week, available 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. (1134 E. 54th St., 317-257-7374)
ROCK OUT The prominent restaurant space at 10 W. Washington St. has stood empty since 2020, when the wildly popular Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery shuttered after 22 years in the space. The IBJ notes that a restaurant named Encanto Alebrije has been approved for a liquor license at the 15,000-square-foot location, with a plan to serve dishes “representing different states of Mexico.” Its owners are listed as Cinia Kiesel, Jose Cuevas, and Adrian Arechiga, the latter of whom has an abundance of Latin-inflected dining experience, including Verde Flavors of Mexico Catering, Casa Santa, and Salsa Verde Mexican Restaurant. An opening date for the spot is TBD.
PURDUE PROTEIN West Lafayette welcomed a new steakhouse Wednesday, when Boilerhouse Prime opened for business with a menu of wagyu, Wellingtons, and oysters. Located in the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, it promises an extensive selection of bourbons, a 450-bottle wine wall, and (per its press release) a “unique-to-Lafayette raw bar.” Its owner is White Lodging, a Merrillville-based, national hotel and restaurant company led by Beth White, a grad of both Purdue and IU. (1295 Cherry Ln., West Lafayette, 765-496-5200)
