Cafe Nora, a casual Southern European restaurant
along East 86th Street in front of Target, has closed after a more than 7-year run. Owner Jim Nethercott said he had to shut
down Saturday because of falling traffic and other financial troubles. His sales were down 34 percent from two years ago.
The landlord, Target, is giving Nethercott time to find a buyer, he said. Nethercott also had to shut down Ruth's Keystone
Cafe, across the street from the Fashion Mall at Keystone, about two weeks ago.
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Welcome to Property Lines, Indy's source for neighborhood real estate news. Your host is Scott Olson, IBJ's real estate beat
reporter. Edited by Cory Schouten.
Cafe Nora, a casual Southern European restaurant
along East 86th Street in front of Target, has closed after a more than 7-year run. Owner Jim Nethercott said he had to shut
down Saturday because of falling traffic and other financial troubles. His sales were down 34 percent from two years ago.
The landlord, Target, is giving Nethercott time to find a buyer, he said. Nethercott also had to shut down Ruth's Keystone
Cafe, across the street from the Fashion Mall at Keystone, about two weeks ago.
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These higher rates Co. e about only because physicians are now hospital employees. otherwise physicians couldn't charge these rates and share the windfall with the hospital. Community/rural hospitals probably not buying physicians practices and thus weren't getting the windfall anyway.
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The incentive for poor people to get themselves off public assistance and "no longer be poor" is even with help...they're STILL POOR! Being poor, even with some assistance, isn't all that pleasant. (I speak from experience) It's a stubborn myth that poor people, who are on public assistance, are sitting in the lap of luxury. You should try living on just those "freebies" that you mentioned and see how meager they actually are. By the way, I didn't mean you had to buy/own a puppy...just pet one. :)
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As near as I can tell the minority has ZERO constitutional obligation to offer a quorum to the majority. A requirement for quorum was inserted into the constitution so that tyrannical majorities could not simply shove through odious and objectionable legislation (which is exactly what they did.) By allowing a tyrannical majority to charge fines against the minority for exercising their constitutional prerogative to deny quorum the court as made a mockery of constitutional governance in the state of Indiana.
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The voters elected the Reps to make a vote not walk out on the vote. They had to the right to exercise their opinion and vote "no" to the bill. Let me ask you this if you walked out of your job for 5 straight weeks would you get paid? Would you even have a job to go back to? If any elected official walks out on the people they should be arrested for stealing tax dollars from the public. They were elected to do a job and not leave when the job gets stuff.
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I have been to several of their locations in Pennsylvania and always go in for 1 item and leave with a basket full of things. I'm very happy they decided on Indiana, now if only they would put the other store in eastside.
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omilet's in that area.I think he was trying to compete with Sunrise Cafe and Le Peep.Very hard to do in this economy.I don't think Ruth's Cafe will be missed.
Hey Pete, chill out. I don't think calling out snobby and pretentious service equates to favoring Chili's and McDonald's. Del Friscos and Laughner's in Nora also suffered from the same defect and they're long gone. A couple of chains disappeared too (BK and Schlozky's). The Nora area still supports independents like Hellas Cafe,the Snooty Fox and others.
For the record, Cafe Nora hardly had snobby or pretentious service. I realize that having a wait staff not decked out in goofy buttons or wearing Dr. Suess hats must be hard for normal Indy residents to handle.
Think before you call people out in this forum. What simply is implied is that the service at Cafe Nora was terrible. I for one agree. There are many restaurants that serve good food in town, but have subpar service. Cafe Nora happened to be a restaurant with subpar service to go with the subpar food. I had only eaten there three times in the last year and a half, but two of those trips left me wishing I had picked somewhere else.
I didn't get a chance to go to Ruth's but I love the Patachous! Also Tulip Noir isn't bad either! Indianapolis doesn't seem to suffer from a lack of independent breakfast places.
I travel quite a bit for work and am constantly surrounded by the so-called big-box restaurants, where I typically refuse to eat. We try very hard to patronize locally owned and operated establishments, even when we travel, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do. My mother-in-law was quite fond of Cafe Nora, I was not because like several others have noted, I felt it was pretentious and the food and service was typically sub-par. But, there again, I find one of the more popular eateries on Mass. Ave to be equally as pretentious, but they have better food. Nothing like spending $150 for dinner for two and being ignored by the celebrity chef when she pointedly comes around to every table in the small establishment to chat with the regulars and totally ignores those of us who don't frequent this tony bistro on a nightly basis, I suppose.
Side note: if they survived at least 7 years, they must have done something right (see: Bonjour Café)
Indy has awesome independents and they are growing. Doesn't mean that 90% of the new ventures won't close but give it time. Born and raised here and my first hand knowledge says we're better now than we were when I grew up. We're not perfect, and yes we have bland student housing going up by IUPUI (I for one am glad to see), but we ARE MAKING GAINS.
Some of my fav independents:
Taste
Zest
Ambrosia
Corner Wine Bar (food is coming along)
MidTown
Aristocrat
Yats
Bubs/Bubs Cafe (only place for a burger!)
Union Jacks
Brugge
Mud Bugs
Michael's (bfast joint in Carmel)
News Cafe (Best Cuban in Town)
La Piedad
Patachou (they still count right?)
Tai Cafe
Indian Garden
Shalimar
Mediterranean Cafe
Gosh I'm going to miss Broad Ripple when I move to Carmel for the schools, taxes, and low crime (and I wish I was kidding)!
The recession is an excuse by many operators who have have planned poorly or have bad food/service/value. Many places have not missed a beat in the last couple of years and there are some promising newcomers that seem to have legs.
As for leaving Indy for Carmel? Such is the price you pay for living in the big city instead of a pretentious paved-over cornfield. Carmel is nice, but dull. (Let me say some of my best freinds and family members live there.)
Indy? Yes it has diversity AND a little danger -- spice of life. Some people are better suited for Peoria than Chicago, New Rochelle rather than NYC -- so be it.
I've lived in this city, well south of Broad Ripple for ten years and can't say I've felt threatened -- yes a little more on my toes, but I've yet to be victim of a violent crime, even a property crime. Hamilton County has its share of crime: bored kids vandalizing property, bored hoousewives and husbands killing each other. At least in Indy most violent crime's on streetcorners and homes in certain neighborhoods -- usually one bad guy against another bad guy.
Schools? Yes it might be hard to argue IPS over Carmel, but good Lord, for all benefits, Carmel has little choice, pretty much one big suburban mindset, and one big fat high school -- how many students? 4,000?
Taxes? Are they that much cheaper there? For all the roundabouts, it sure has some questionable ways of funding them.
The grass may be greener on the other side, but I like to mix it up with a few weeds and wildflowers.
Getting back to food, if you like Wonder Bread, make Hendricks County home; Pepperidge Farm white bread? Make it Carmel. And you'll have no trouble finding chain restaurants.
I can't speak for Ruth's, but I do worry about the chains defining the uniqueness of a place. I don't have an answer, but I think its very easy to turn into a cheesy place that way.
Check out Variations on a Theme Park
I live in Indianapolis, in one of the best school districts in the state (Washington Township), in a neighborhood that is extremely safe, and property taxes are very low. Just a few miles from Broad Ripple and a short 15-20 minute jaunt to downtown. In the middle of some great shops, restaurants and parks. No long commutes to the burbs. You CAN live in Indy and experience a great quality of life. You don't have to run off to Carmel and give up. But you obviously wanted to, and that's ok. Nothing wrong with it.
IVO - you left off two of my favorites from your list - Marco's and the Keystone Deli. Both vastly different from each other but both are delicious! I would also add Mississippi Belle - their home style meals and sweet tea are good too. Oh, yeah, and the Donut Shop - I think their donuts are MUCH better than any Dunkin'.
Woody - the Pawn Shop lives again between Marco's and Just Judy's on 54th Street. I don't know how it compares to the original, but it always looks crowded.
Ron, regarding the Abbey, I hear that Mark and Moises have taken jobs in Texas. I would love to see something nice go into that spot.
So those of you who insist on portraying everybody in Carmel as white-bread soccer moms need to face the facts. Carmel in 2009 is not the same as Carmel circa 1989. Continue to throw stones if you want, but let the record show that you are dead wrong in your assumptions.
Finally, to the person who said taxes in Carmel are roughly the same as Washington Township......uhh.....no they are not. In fact, the tax rate in Clay Township is roughy HALF the rate in Washinton Township.
Parker: check out Urban's Series on Carmel (info packed):
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2007/02/carmel-leadership-in-action-part-one.html
As Preston stated this aint your Dad's Carmel. I'm a fan becuase it is steadily becoming a world class (that's right I said it) edge city full of diversity.
I encourage you to research what's going on there. BTW... roundabouts from a stand point of efficiency, cost over time, design, aesthetics, etc are the freaking shizznit my friend.
My ripple taxes are roughly 300% higher than they would be in Carmel. Nuff said.
For the record I wouldn't not move into a suburban style development anywhere! I roll TND and walkability baby! I REFUSE to give that up! If you don't know now you know sucka! j/k :)
I had heard Ruth's was a great breakfast, too bad I never made it there.
Do not mean to throw stones at Carmel. Yes it's too easy -- like it's easy throwing stones at Indy from Hamilton County. Now THAT never happens does it? Bottom line, if it were not for Indy, Carmel wouldn't be there.
As for restaurants, anyone notice how E. 54th Street between Keystone and College is an avenue of local dining, most of it outstanding?
West from Keystone, start with Steak n' Shake (local for us,) then Marco's, Just Judy's, Pawn Shop, Mississippi Belle, Zest, the new pasta shop, Locally Grown (produce & food), Momma Carolla's, Momma's in the Morning, Jazz Kitchen, Yats, Bulldog, Moe and Johnny's, Cornerstone Coffee, Sam's Middle Eastern, Northside News cuban sandwiches, and throw in Fresh Market for good measure. That's quite an array in a short stretch of street. That synergy alone is worth mentioning.
There are more locals scattered throughout, north to Broad Ripple of course, and spots south of there on College, Penn, and don't forget 56th and Illinois. Throw in downtown, and lots of interesting international stuff in the Lafayette Square area as was mentioned previously, and you have a buttload of mostly good food, and local owners. I'm impressed even as I write this!
Well-run independent restaurants CAN make it in Indianapolis. Go to Fountain Square for lunch, and you'll see people who choose these places because the food is great, the prices reasonable, and the service above average. Sure it's a little shabbier than Carmel or Broadripple, but that's part of its charm. Other neighborhoods too - East 10th Street and Irvington - have great local dining choices. As Donna pointed out, there are great independent and independent ethnic restaurants all over the city. Seek these restaurants and neighborhoods out - it is worth the minimal extra effort.
About the Carmel debate: it's fine up there, I would certainly live in that Avriel Schull (sp. ?) neighborhood just west of the arts district. Also, some of the smartest, most thoughtful, and worldly people that I've ever known have come from Carmel. However, I don't understand why people seem to believe why a bunch of subdivisions plopped down in a corn field is posh. My wife and I joke that they should change the name of the town to Carmel By The Corn.
My three based on pure gut instinct:
Mortons,
Acopoco Joes,
Adobo Grill,
and possibly a few more before we get through this.
Along with Hobby Lobby, a department store chain and a locally owned specialty clothing store.
They may all be favorites, but if the numbers don’t work, they aren’t waiting for you to show up.
And as long as I'm on the topic, I hear that they're one regulatory hurdle (about two weeks) and construction (two more weeks) away from having sidewalk seating. Just in time for summer to be over! They expect to be able to squeeze in four or five tables on their small strip of sidewalk.
Adobo runs pretty full Th-SA they tell you, huh? and TH is for a special?
Ditto that probably for a lot more shops.
See what I mean when I'm saying weekday/night business downtown is risky? If you don't make rent in a day or two, in general, YOU ARE LOSING MONEY.
I'm not faulting any of the fine folks down there pumping it out everyday, but damn! C'mon Indy! Let's live a little!
Cost of goods 30-40%
Labor 20-30%
Rent 5- 10%
Utilities 2- 5%
FICA/Unemployment 2 - 4%
Advertising 0 - 1%
Misc (Supplies, Linen Service, Maintainance, Professional Fees - (Atty,CPA's) Bank Service Charges 5 - 10%
Take the upper end of these figures and you'll understand why restaurant people smoke & drink so much...
the 62nd/BR Ave project is looking better each week. Can you say continuous sidewalks!?
BTW the new CVS on 16th Meridian street seems to be coming along nicely.
all for Krogers and Target…I used to love that I could go rent a movie drop off my laundry grab a bite at Nora Cafe or BK, and mail off care packages to my sister at the post office..all of this is gone to krogers and target…I am sick of the dumbing down and generic crap that is being offered to us….I like target…but i dont want to live in target town which is what we might as well call nora…lets hope my ace and habigs stays in place… I love smith and hawkins but again sometimes we feel guilty for having money and those that dont make money want us to come down to their level…sorry I dont always want mcdonalds to go with my cheap ass target jeans…I like good food and I dont care if they are pretentious or not??? who cares just eat your damn food and shut up..wait no go to mcdonalds…your better off…besides you wont feel bad if you cant fit into your target jeans cuz they were only 30bucks right???