Farewell, mediocre pizza buffet

September 4, 2007
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Flagstar BankAt the top of a lunch-time retail roundup: Downtown's Bearno's Pizza has closed and will be replaced by Flagstar Bank. A sign on the door says to look for Bearno's elsewhere in Indianapolis soon. Flagstar has applied for zoning approval for a projecting sign outside the building, which sits at the northeast corner of Washington and Pennsylvania streets. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25. No word yet on what's going in the Flagstar space at the corner of Washington and Meridian (shown here). In other restaurant news:
  • Ashley's Steak and Seafood has closed. The independent restaurant on 146th Street in Carmel had been open less than a year and was founded by a former partner in Stone Creek restaurants. The Web site for Ashley's says it closed in August.
  • Dunkin Donuts Watch: The first of 80 new stores is slated to open Sept. 10 at 1305 Range Line Rd. in Carmel. A new location at 7015 Kentucky Ave. is slated to open Sept. 24. The chain also has filed for a restaurant at 8812 American Blvd., near Zionsville Road.

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    • NickSeptember 4, 2007 12:08 PM
      I am sort of sad to see Bearno's go because I enjoyed their pizza when they first opened, but their hours became so erratic. It was next to impossible to know when they were open. Ho hum, on it becoming a bank branch. I'm sure someone could have made it work as a restaurant.

      On an unrelated note, I've been wondering if there is any more news on the O'Malia's remodel. Obviously, we know it is happening, and I have heard that there will be expanded wine and hard liquor. However, has there been plans or anything released?
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    • JoeSeptember 4, 2007 1:55 PM
      It wasn't mediocre. It was actually worse.
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    • Kevin GSeptember 4, 2007 1:58 PM
      WOW Propety Lines! Little rough on the pizza place. How good is your pizza???
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    • cschoutenSeptember 4, 2007 2:20 PM
      My pizzas are frozen, and they're still better than Bearno's.
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    • bryanSeptember 4, 2007 2:29 PM
      i went once, nuff said.
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    • mobyheadSeptember 4, 2007 3:12 PM
      The IBJ is right across the street from Bearno's Pizza. I'm sure Cory likes the Panda Express better.
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    • Indiana JonesSeptember 4, 2007 3:34 PM
      A Dunkin' Donuts downtown, please, in one of those dilapidated storefronts down from Panda Express at Washington and Penn.!
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    • Kevin GSeptember 4, 2007 4:13 PM
      Frozen Dutch pizzas???
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    • DowntownGuySeptember 4, 2007 8:56 PM
      The pizza at Bearnos was absolutely terrible. It is a shame that the replacement will be another bank. Doesn't Flagstar already have a branch downtown?
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    • cschoutenSeptember 4, 2007 9:21 PM
      Yes, DowntownGuy. They're now at Washington and Meridian but are not renewing there.
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    • Da HooeySeptember 5, 2007 7:34 AM
      Indy loves its pizza. We got alot of lunching fatties who are going to be upset their trough has run dry. I love those all you can eat places! You get what you pay for. CiCi's Pizza does well in the burbs, wonder why these guys couldn't make it work.
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    • CoryWSeptember 5, 2007 9:03 AM
      I tried to post this yesterday, but it never worked (it happens sometimes to me on here). Anyway, I have heard that Dunkin' Doughnuts was wanting to be on the Circle, so the soon-to-be-old Flagstar space would be ideal!
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    • panhandlerSeptember 5, 2007 10:31 AM
      If Dunkin Donuts came to the circle the panhandlers would be able to urinate in their doorway too. I was hoping that Dunkin Donuts would go into the space just east of Borders on Washington St. There has been activity inside the building there recently. If not a Dunkin Donuts why not a Walgreens. There is o place to buy anything downtown after 6pm. Im asked all the time where people staying at the hotels can buy cigarettes, toiletries, and other convenience store items.
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    • CorrNDSeptember 5, 2007 11:14 AM
      The CVS at Ohio and Penn is open until 7:30pm, but your point is still valid. It would be nice if they could get one of the two CVS to hold some late evening hours.
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    • braingirlSeptember 6, 2007 8:36 AM
      re: O'Malia's expansion. There's been quite a bit of coverage in various places on this. Marsh announced it a couple of months ago. Work is in progress now and they are planning a completion date by end of November. Updated store, more serve-yourself stations, expanded beer/wine shop, etc. Greatly needed.

      Don't mourn Bearno's. If you need really horrible pizza by the slice, just go over that place at City Market. You'll know it -- it's the one with the longest lunchtime lines!
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    • RussSeptember 6, 2007 10:12 AM
      The best downtown pizza buffet ever was Chicago's Pizza, which is now where Nicky Blaine's resides...
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    • DJSeptember 6, 2007 12:16 PM
      If you want good pizza, hoof it up to Bazbeaux, it's just a few blocks. You can walk off some of that lunch on the way back to the office. But it would be nice to have another restaurant on the old Bearno's corner. With Adobo Grill going in just down the block, the area is sure to draw residents from the NE downtown neighborhoods.
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    • Da HooeySeptember 6, 2007 7:13 PM
      Pizza! Anyone visit the new PIZZA KING! in Broad Ripple??? Awesome stuff. Its thin done right. Indy sure do love its pizza. Baz in BR or DT is awesome. WB at 62 & Allisonville - best sauce in the world. Some Guys lust up the block is great too. I could eat pizza every day.
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    • CASeptember 17, 2007 7:07 PM
      Maybe the pizza was mediocre but sometimes its not all about the food. It gave me a reason to get out of the office and escape the stress of work. I spent many fridays in the summer time recruiting my coworkers for the not-so-famous pizza buffet. Even though Bearno's didn't hit my taste buds like a late night run to Hot Box Pizza would, it still left me satisfied and very full. Not to mention that it only cost around $6, never had a line even at noon, and I could catch up on my ESPN gossip without having to discretely maneuver windows around on my computer. Alt + Tab is why Bill Gates is a genius.
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    1. First, the Athenaeum is going to have to get past the hurdle with the Lockerbie residents and the agreement that the parcel would be residential. Second, and in my opinion, this prime piece of property should include parking, PLUS, a black box theater(s), some market rate and affordable artist housing and a plan to renovate and reconfigure the second story theater. I would negotiate to add the DeHaan property surface parking lot into the development mix, place a one story surface parking garage on the DeHaan lot on the street level (for the Dehaan tenants use during the daytime) and add a second story to the garage that would become an addition to the current second story theater and then change the direction of the theater by moving the stage across the alley and on top of the DeHaan lot parking. You can add all the stage elements that are currently missing from the Athenaeum stage to make it more attractive for use by Ballet, Opera and traveling productions. Plus, the theater changes would probably help solve some of the soundproofing issues. Alas,it does not seem to be a part of the strategic plan to conduct a study to determine best use of the property. Seems like the current plan is a quick and easy move that ignores the property best use/potential and any strategic property planning for the effect on future generations.

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