JULIE JOHNSTON
OWNER / VisionLoft Events Stutz
With 8,000 square feet in the pedestrian-only courtyard, VisionLoft is the place where weddings, corporate events, and luncheons will make elegant use of a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Events can extend into the new 10,000-square-foot Stutz Car Museum across the plaza.
WHAT SOLD YOU ON THE STUTZ?
SomeraRoad recruited us almost three years ago. I’d been attending events there for years. How could I turn it down? It might sound like an exaggeration, but I am actually honored. The Stutz is an icon.
WHAT KIND OF PUBLIC EVENTS WILL WE SEE?
The Stutz has an event team that will schedule community events like holiday markets and yoga in the courtyard. VisionLoft plans customer-driven private, corporate, and nonprofit events, and weddings.
YOU ALREADY HAVE A LOCATION DOWNTOWN. WHY ANOTHER ONE?
SomeraRoad was really willing to work with us and asked us how much square footage we needed, and we were the first business to open. Now we have a bigger menu of options—outdoors, more intimate, a larger space.
WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY WITH THE BUILDING?
I’ve been friends with some of the artists over the years, and even before that, I always attended the open houses. There’s just a feeling when you go to that building, and it’s inspiring to me. But it needed an upgrade. The courtyard was a blacktop road with potholes that people tried to drive on, and now it’s so beautiful with the brick and courtyard lights. It will be a place people will enjoy for years.
THE COURTYARD WILL BE A PRIME DESTINATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
SomeraRoad handpicked the businesses to activate this courtyard very intentionally. You have your coffee shop, the lunch spot, coworking [spaces], the bakery, the event spot, and then the brewery. It’s symbiotic. We can send our grooms for weddings down to Turner’s brewery to hang out an hour before the wedding starts. We can send the brides to Cafe Patachou for their brunches. They can have their happy hour in the car museum and their reception dinner in our space. We’re talking to Industrious about using their conference room and library for corporate events that want to do breakouts. These collaborations are organically happening and will continue to as these spaces open and we get to know each other.
ESTEBAN ROSAS
CO-OWNER AND CO-CHEF / Julieta Taco Shop
Rosas and fellow chef Gabriel Sañudos joined forces to open a tribute to counter-service taco joints in Mexico, most notably slicing tacos al pastor off a traditional vertical spit called a trompo.
WHAT FEATURES MAKE JULIETA AUTHENTIC?
The feeling is quaint, fast-paced, and open. That’s why we wanted an open-kitchen concept, so everyone will be able to see what’s going on. It should feel like people are coming in and then going about their day.
A TROMPO IS A RARE SIGHT IN INDIANAPOLIS. WHY IS IT A BETTER WAY TO PREPARE TACOS AL PASTOR?
Vertically layering pork on the trompo changes the cook on the pork, the texture of it. It’s 100 percent different than calling something tacos al pastor just because it has adobo and pineapple on it.
IT’S SORT OF LIKE CHILI IN THAT EVERYONE HAS A FAMILY RECIPE FOR THE MARINADE, RIGHT?
Yeah, some areas in Mexico City have 50 different taquerias and they’re all busy because they each have a unique taste. We’ve been working on our recipe for quite some time. We bought our trompo two or three years ago and I think we have honed in on it. It’s anywhere from 30 to 60 pounds of layered meat and you have to stack it in a certain way so it slices nicely.
YOU ARE ALSO MAKING FRESH TORTILLAS FROM CORN IMPORTED FROM MEXICO. IS THE CORN DIFFERENT?
The types of corn we use—red, blue, yellow, white—have specific uses. There’s a big variance. Some are better for table tortillas, some better for sopes, some are more starchy so they help out with tamales. We are sourcing corn from a couple different co-ops in Mexico and California that import from small farms in Mexico. We’re making tortillas on tabletop machines, and we’re really excited about that.
WHY GO TO THE TROUBLE?
It seems so simple to just go buy them, but I equate it to a bakery that makes its own sandwich bread, like Amelia’s and Leviathan. It doesn’t matter if the fillings are great—the extra attention to the vessel makes a big difference in the end.
Indianapolis Monthly magazine has a circulation of more than 30,000 that focuses on service, city and regional issues, and lifestyles for an upscale readership.Job Overview Indianapolis Monthly has an excellent opportunity for an entrepreneurial-minded Sales Director.The ideal candidate must have prior outside sales experience, selling to business owners or C-level executives in a highly competitive, fast-paced environment. You must excel at finding and closing new opportunities in a short sales cycle and have excellent questioning and listening skills. You should be highly motivated and goal-oriented with a “can-do” attitude.Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrganize, direct, and manage the execution and performance of a team of local sales Account Executives Develop new business for utilizing and maximizing all platforms including, but not limited to, print, digital, and event sponsorships Maintain a book of business in the Indianapolis market for key clients Collaborate with the Publisher to train, develop, and motivate the local sales team so that revenue goals are achieved Develop and implement pricing and packaging to fill needs of both client and publication Effectively forecast sales revenue and manage department expenses so that financial goals are achieved Other duties as assignedMinimum five years of sales experience preferred with a pattern of success. Compensation will combine base salary plus commission.To ApplyPlease email Ivy Bayer the following materials: your resume and a cover letter that will convince me you’re the best candidate for the position. This position reports directly to the Publisher.Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.
AMANDA GRIFFITH
OWNER / Grounded Plant & Floral Co.
One of the first dedicated houseplant boutiques in Indianapolis, Grounded outgrew its original spot and is planting new roots in a 2,300-square-foot corner storefront with enough indirect southern exposure to keep its urban jungle thriving.
HOW DID YOU WIND UP AT THE STUTZ?
SomeraRoad reached out to us. I was most drawn to the community feel. We’ve always been a destination store, and it sounded great to be part of a full building. Not only restaurants and coffee shops, but the art studios above us and Pattern next to us—a cool community that we were invited to join.
SOUNDS LIKE A NO-BRAINER.
We are headed into our sixth year, and we are thrilled plants are still popular. With the new space, we have more foot traffic, which is changing our demographic a bit. We’ll always be a plant store, but we want to expand our inventory. People tell us often that they come in for gifts. So we want to cater to that.
HOW IS THE LIGHT?
We’re on the corner of the building so we get sunlight from north and east. It’s beautiful.
DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH SOUTHERN EXPOSURE FOR SNAKE PLANTS AND BASKETS?
Our south-facing window looks out onto a courtyard, so it’s not so much direct exposure.
WHAT IS GROUNDED’S VIBE?
I hope people come in and feel what the store says—very grounded and at peace—but also wander and get lost in there in a sense. We want to help make your home feel like an urban jungle, as well. The other inventory helps elevate your daily routines.
PHIL TADROS
GENERAL MANAGER / Industrious
The coworking studio anchors the street level with 27,000 square feet and draws a stream of 350 workers who enliven the Stutz during the day.
WHY IS THE STUTZ A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR THIRD LOCATION IN INDIANAPOLIS?
In part because of the proximity to IUPUI. We were excited to jump on it knowing all the work they’re doing to develop the area.
WHAT REALLY SOLD YOU ON THE STUTZ?
Traditionally, we were in central business districts, but we’re shifting our focus to more mixed-use locations. We’re in a lot of Class A buildings—not a lot of historic buildings—and we’re doing that more and more, where you have the restaurants and amenities right there.
HOW DOES THE SPACE HONOR THE STUTZ’S PAST?
SomeraRoad did our build-out and design. The windows are one of my favorite things. They are historic replicas of the originals, which weren’t in the condition to be kept. We have partnered with artists in the building. They are creating a rotating art program in our space that preserves the history of the artistic community, and the color scheme with reds and yellows was done with the intent to keep the history of the Stutz building.
WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC IS DRAWN TO THIS LOCATION?
Small, hyperlocal businesses that can appreciate being in a smaller building and having all the amenities they need throughout their day—a gym at Myriad Fitness, Patachou, and Amelia’s [and] knowing breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all covered within walking instance. There’s a different clientele that wants the Class A building with a grand entrance because they are bringing in clients.
WHAT SEPARATES INDUSTRIOUS FROM OTHER COWORKING HUBS?
Our hospitality—breakfast every morning; free coffee, soda, and flavored water; weekly happy hour. Our community manager is there Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., operating as an extension of each member’s team—greeting visitors, restocking amenities, appointing security, making sure pens are available in the conference room, solving any Wi-Fi issues. We create an environment within the building that draws creatives and local small businesses that are treated the way they deserve.
Over the last decade, Charlie Ballantine and Amanda Gardier have become pillars of the Indianapolis jazz community, regularly headlining noteworthy venues like The Jazz Kitchen while also amassing impressive music catalogs. With Gardier having recently accepted a role in the United States Navy band, however, the local power couple will now bid the Circle City farewell to embrace new opportunities on the East Coast.Born the son of Scott Ballantine—an excellent guitarist in his own right—Charlie Ballantine picked up a guitar at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back since.“I had a friend who was strumming on a guitar one day,” Ballantine says. “He handed it over and was like, ‘Hey. Here’s a G chord. Here’s a C chord.’ As soon as that happened, it was just like electricity. Like, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’”In addition to being a guitarist, Scott Ballantine also owned record stores around Indy as Charlie was growing up and would regularly introduce his son to all kinds of music. To this day, Charlie credits his father for making him so musically open-minded.“I think a huge advantage of mine was that I had no musical education,” Charlie says. “I didn’t have these camps of jazz and pop and rock. My dad would just give me these stacks of records. There would be Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, The Beach Boys, Nirvana, and then some Wes Montgomery or Grant Green would be slipped in there.”Eventually, Ballantine found himself gravitating to jazz, which led him to pursue a jazz studies degree from Indiana University’s acclaimed Jacobs School of Music. While learning from topnotch professors like the late David Baker, Charlie also met a standout saxophonist, who would later become his wife.Originally from St. Charles, Illinois, Amanda Gardier admits she never interacted with Charlie in classes at IU. “I know we were in some classes together, but they were morning classes so he was almost never there—or if he was, he definitely wasn’t interested in talking to anyone,” she says with a laugh.While they never hit it off in the classroom, Ballantine and Gardier eventually found themselves playing in the same Bloomington cover band. As one thing led to another, the guitarist and the saxophonist were drawn to each other.“We would just play the bars real late at night,” Gardier says. “That’s how we really got to know each other. I think he asked me out for the first time at like 3 a.m. at the end of a gig.”After graduating from IU, Ballantine and Gardier both relocated to Indianapolis and continued their jazz music pursuits. In looking back on his time in Indy post-college, Ballantine credits local jazz veterans like Jared Thompson and Rob Dixon for whipping him into shape.“I came up here, and I sucked,” Ballantine says. “I remember going to the Chatterbox to hear Jared Thompson on Sundays, Rob Dixon on Mondays, and Sophie Faught on Wednesdays, and just being like, ‘I’m never gonna get there.’ But luckily, they were super nice people. Jared and Rob especially took me under their wings and showed me the ropes. Then, they’d start to let me sit in when they realized I could maybe hang for a tune or two.”As Ballantine and Gardier found themselves getting more and more gigs in the Indy area, they were also navigating the often-treacherous territory of sharing the stage as a couple. “It’s a tough line to straddle,” Ballantine says of playing with a significant other. “I love playing with her, but when you have that deep, emotional connection, you’re very honest on stage with that person. So that’s why you don’t see a ton of husbands and wives playing together.” Having now performed together for a decade, Ballantine and Gardier definitely have it figured out, though.“Sometimes people don’t like playing with their significant other, but I’ve always enjoyed it,” Gardier says. “It just makes you feel comfortable taking risks because it’s not like the person is never going to call you for a gig again.”Since planting their roots in Indianapolis, Ballantine and Gardier have bloomed into a royal family of sorts, amassing an impressive catalog of music between the two of them while also giving birth to their daughter, River. Having played on both of their albums, local saxophonist extraordinaire Rob Dixon has witnessed the couple’s musical growth firsthand.“Charlie and Amanda have blossomed as musicians over the last few years,” Dixon says. “Charlie’s really come into his own voice and has a distinct sound. To develop that at such a young age is a great accomplishment, and he’s done it.”While flourishing on the home front, Ballantine has also embarked on several U.S. tours in recent years and is now at the point where he is playing auditoriums and theaters in other cities. Considering Ballantine is only 33, Dixon says the jazz guitarist’s career is in a great place right now.“It’s unusual for somebody at a young age to be that focused and driven to record like he has,” Dixon says. “He’s been able to record a lot of music, and he’s been able to go out and build a name for himself in a lot of other markets by setting up multiple tours for himself. When you do those gigs in other cities, it just helps you grow as an artist to connect with people across the world.”The Jazz Kitchen owner David Allee has had a front-row seat to the couple’s growth over the years. In reflecting on what impresses him most about Ballantine in particular, Allee pinpoints the albums Charlie has released honoring Bob Dylan and Kurt Vonnegut.“Those aren’t easy things to pull off. They can backfire on you if they’re not done correctly,” Allee says. “He has a natural tendency to do new projects that challenge him.”Having both made a habit of challenging themselves musically, Ballantine and Gardier will now embark on a new adventure together, as they move their family to Baltimore. The migration is prompted by a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity for Gardier, who has accepted a position with the U.S. Navy’s premiere jazz band in Washington, D.C.“I’ve always been interested in the D.C. military bands,” Gardier says. “There are rarely opportunities, especially as a jazz musician, to have a salaried position where you’re just playing. I’ve sent in tapes before whenever there have been openings. I had never even been invited to a live audition, but this time it just worked out.”Before packing up his bags, Ballantine will perform two shows at The Jazz Kitchen on Friday, March 31, at 7 and 9:30 p.m., alongside bassist Jesse Wittman and drummer Richard “Sleepy” Floyd. While they may be billed as “farewell” shows, Ballantine insists this won’t be the last time hometown fans will see him perform in Indy.“It was tempting to have a million people sit in and make it a big thing, but we’re just going to keep it simple and approach it just like another concert,” Ballantine says of the March 31 gigs. “Because I really do think I’ll be back, and I hope it’s not an official goodbye in any way, shape, or form.”
CHARLIE MCINTOSH
HEAD BAKER AND PARTNER / Amelia’s
Amelia’s, a purveyor of scratch-made sourdough, laminated pastries, and locally sourced provisions, debuted gelato and espresso menus in the third location of its cafes, which are open “half the time all the time” (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily).
WHAT’S NEW AT THE STUTZ LOCATION?
The store will be a combination of the two we already have. The Virginia Avenue location has no seating, but we do have a lot of grocery offerings there, more than the Windsor Park location that’s actually bigger. The Stutz will have a substantial grocery selection.
WHAT SOLD YOU ON THE STUTZ?
It seemed like SomeraRoad had a good idea of how to remake this building by involving local people. That’s the only way to do it well. They have been pretty easy to work with, and they’re taking a historic piece of Indy and doing good work on it. They’re not just throwing facades over it. I just liked their approach.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SURPRISE YOUR REGULARS AT THIS LOCATION? Selection, for one. Both the grocery and pastry section. Each place will have a lead baker who will have the leeway to make a couple signature items. Also, it will be a fun place to hang out. I’m excited to see what events happen in the courtyard and what the vibe is like on summer evenings.
Indy’s Kitchen vegan startup Burgeezy announced last week that it will relocate to The Amp at 16 Tech to take part in the Melon Kitchens Food Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program.Nap Snacks, the imported-food convenience shop that two cousins recently opened on West 86th Street, has a second location in the works on West Washington Street.The JW Marriott’s first-floor restaurant, OP Italian (10 S. West St.), is back open for breakfast and dinner for the first time since its COVID-19 closure.Sur La Table will offer online and in-person cooking classes for young chefs this summer. The courses range from a kid’s Cooking Adventure to a five-day baking workshop for teens.Beginning in March, Speedway’s Foyt Wine Vault (1182 N. Main St., Speedway, 317-672-4246) will begin featuring free live music on the second Saturday of the month.Clutch your pearls, Hoosiers. Half Liter (5301 Winthrop Ave., 463-212-8180) has invented a beer-battered pork tenderloin.
MARTHA HOOVER
OWNER / Cafe Patachou
The sixth Cafe Patachou location will front Capitol Avenue as a gateway to eat-and-drinkeries lining Restaurant Row, revamped as a pedestrian-only plaza strung with lights.
YOU COULD OPEN A RESTAURANT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY. WHY THE STUTZ?
I love the entire scope of the project. It will have a remarkable impact on an entire quadrant of downtown. The area between Methodist, the IU Health campus, and IUPUI was a dead zone for new development. The Stutz will create a lot of energy and momentum and will add to, rather than replace, a neighborhood.
AND PATACHOU IS A NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT.
We started 34 years ago [when] the vast majority of retail restaurants and community development was not being done in neighborhoods. I initially thought the Stutz would be an office environment, and now I think it’s going to be much more of a neighborhood environment.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
I think it’s going to be remarkably diverse. It’s going to be a continuation of the artist lofts and shared workspaces. It will also have a large office environment. There are plans for housing, and SomeraRoad is also working with the city and IU Health to add some residential, retail, and restaurants to an entire quadrant that’s going to support the needs of IU Health and people who live there currently.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE SOUL OF THE BUILDING?
The developers talked about this from day one, the necessity of not ruining the building. But the building had some internal weaknesses. Public bathrooms and parking were not really sufficient. It hadn’t been updated. I feel sorry for anyone who was displaced, but I know several people who are excited to come back to the Stutz with the improvements that are happening. Patachou made sure to put a lot of attention to historic notes, including materials, patterns, and colors that are consistent with the time the building was constructed. The development team was very pointed, at least with me, in being excited that we weren’t fighting to reimagine the building as new and modern, but we were really wanting to embrace its history and add to that.
CAN YOU PREVIEW THE DESIGN?
I’m a big people-watcher, and I love hotel life. I like lobbies that invite you in and make you feel really welcome, where you want to sink in and have a glass of wine and listen to the music. We’re creating something where people will want to just come in and watch people with a cocktail. It’s a very pretty space.
WHAT’S THE SHOWSTOPPER?
The cozy custom furniture. We hope that people will want to sink into it and think of the restaurant as an extension of their living rooms.
POLINA OSHEROV
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / Pattern
Pattern, a publisher and engine for Indy’s creative community, was tapped to oversee the selection of programming in the Stutz from its new 2,800-square-foot headquarters.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY AT THE STUTZ?
Art and culture are the things that make most of our spaces interesting and dynamic.
AS PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF THE STUTZ, MUCH OF THE BUILDING’S SOUL IS IN YOUR HANDS. HOW DID YOU KNOW SOMERAROAD WAS SERIOUS ABOUT RETAINING ITS PERSONALITY?
They are trying to walk a very difficult line by staying true to two things that don’t live well together—monetizing a project that costs a lot of money, and the coolness of a community of artists. If people are open to an evolution of what a creative community looks like, then I think they will be excited.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CHANGES AFTER OPERATING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO THERE?
I have loved walking in and seeing art on the walls and knowing artists are working within those walls. One of the challenges was a lot of those spaces were not used during the week frequently. They were storage spaces for artists. Will it be different? Yes. Will it have its own cool features when it coalesces into its own community? Yes. I have no doubt.
WHAT KIND OF CREATIVE COMMUNITY, EXACTLY?
Inclusive. We want to get people thinking about the creative economy and arts and culture outside of museums, classical orchestra, and ballet. Just because photographers, web designers, and content creators can be commercially successful doesn’t disqualify them from being part of the broader arts community and [or disqualify them from] funding.
My argument is [that] it’s economic development. It attracts visitors, keeps people here, and contributes to mental well-being.
THE STUTZ HAS ALWAYS BEEN HOME TO A VARIETY OF CREATIVE TYPES, INCLUDING ARTISTS AND STARTUPS. WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW?
The vision was always to be a hub of national recognition. There are artists here who show regularly and have national representation. There’s nothing wrong with being a hobbyist, but the bigger picture for me—based on a quote I’ve borrowed from [local civic-engagement guru] Michael Kaufmann, “The city has done a great job enabling hobbyists at the expense of supporting more serious artists and creators”—is that we get better at supporting individuals who want to make a living while practicing creative expression.
IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS, HOW DOES THIS TURN OUT?
For a long time, I’ve advocated for a citywide strategy around culture and arts like we have for sports and tech. I hope that will come to fruition and the Stutz will be a key player. Just give us time. This whole neighborhood is undergoing a huge transformation with the IU Health district. The Stutz is part of that, and there’s more to come.
