Yats, Aldi and another steakhouse

January 2, 2008
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Montana Mike’sMontana Mike's, a Kansas-based steakhouse chain, hopes to claim Indianapolis as a lucrative new market. The chain wants to open in Greenwood first, said Madison Jobs, Montana Mike's vice president of franchise development. The company also wants to open four other central Indiana restaurants, including in Carmel and Plainfield. The chain has 26 locations, including in Edinburgh and Greenfield. It's part of the Sirloin Stockade family.


In other retail news:

  • Grocery discounter Aldi plans to take 17,000 square feet in Avalon Crossing, a recently remodeled Landmark Properties strip center at 6935 Binford Blvd. Brokers with Sitehawk and Paragon negotiated the deal.

  • Clothing store Chico's is taking 4,500 square feet in Hamilton Town Center, the Simon Property Group lifestyle center at 146th Street and I-69.

  • A new Yats is set to open this month in Greenwood, at the southwest corner of U.S. 31 and County Line Road. The homegrown chain has stores downtown, at 54th and College and on 96th Street in Fishers.
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    • CDC GuyJanuary 2, 2008 3:35 PM
      Does anyone around here have any hard numbers on how much people in the Indy area actually spend in restaurants (i.e. how big is the pie)?

      I realize this can be thrown way off by our big convention business, as well as by regional and national draws such as hospitals, museums, and IMS. Something must be driving all the recent interest by smaller chains wanting to break into our market.
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    • cityfanJanuary 2, 2008 5:04 PM
      Indy has some pretty good homegrown chains, like Patachou, Hubbard & Cravens Coffee, Bazbeaux, Yats (i'm sure i'm missing a few). It's great for the city to have.
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    • MarcellaJanuary 2, 2008 9:00 PM
      Thank God, Indy is FINALLY getting a steakhouse! Its so tough to find one around here.
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    • NortheastsiderJanuary 3, 2008 8:45 AM
      Regarding the Aldi story, what a missed opportunity! This sounds like a huge disappointment for the 71st & Binford & Hague triangle. I remember the B.R.A.G. group received so much media attention (maybe too much) for its intensive lobbying of Whole Foods to move here. I’m embarrassed for them; the demographics I recall were a little more Whole Foods than Aldi. Maybe it’s just the developer’s altruistic attempt to diversify the area.

      I hope the developer didn’t leave too much cash on the table.
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    • crankyJanuary 3, 2008 10:01 AM
      Northeastsider,

      Dig deeper into grocery retail. Aldi is not Lo-Bills or SuperSaver. Sure, Aldi has had locations in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, like the aforementioned brands, long before they opened in near-Fishers and Avon. But swing into 53 & Keystone early on a Saturday morning and you will see transplanted Europeans with their Starbucks cups and kids in carts. Maybe they drove down from Steinmeir to shop.

      I do find it interesting that this intersection which has been begging for a grocery store for so long will now have two: Kroger and Aldi.

      Does Whole Foods want to be in the same strip center as the Entenmann's outlet?
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    • thundermuttJanuary 3, 2008 11:36 AM
      LOL Cranky. I was just going to write that not everyone in middle and upper-middle class areas wants $9/pound fair trade coffee and $3/loaf bread. The Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, and Meijer grocery departments located in the upscale 'burbs seem to do ok.
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    • SteveJanuary 3, 2008 3:46 PM
      Wow, Montana Mikes sure has some glamorous locations. Vincinnes, Greenfield, and now Greenwood! I bet this place is classy. Next stop Times Square!
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    • JohnnyJanuary 3, 2008 7:48 PM
      Fun fact: One of the brothers who founded ALDI (and has since retired) also owns Trader Joe's. It's not unusual to find the same product in both stores, though sometimes in different packaging.
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    • AbbyJanuary 3, 2008 8:21 PM
      I hope they don't come up to Carmel. I'm sure Mayor Brainard will do all he can to stop this.
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    • DonJanuary 4, 2008 8:19 AM
      Johnny -

      Minor correction... Theo Albrecht owns Trader Joe's now but he wasn't the founder. Joe Coulombe founded the company in 1958 and he sold it in 1979.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • markJanuary 4, 2008 10:18 AM
      Montana Mikes is really good actually. Go there all the time when I go to the Edinburgh Outlet Mall. I like it better than Logans or maybe even better than Texas Roadhouse. It isn't as good as Longhorn, but man when you order the 11 dollar Pork Chops you get 3 large ones plus your two sides. It isn't a crappy place based on the locations. Give it a try.

      My parents, when I was younger, always shopped at ALDI and they had about an 85K household income.
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    • ChrisJanuary 4, 2008 3:02 PM
      Another independent restaurant you may not know about is Augustino's at the corner of Stop 11 and Emerson, just off of I-65 and Southport Rd. It's a great family owned italian restauant. One of the best in the city in my opinion. Certainly on par with Enrico's on the north side.
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    • DaleJanuary 7, 2008 11:32 AM
      I believe Yats is also opening in the Wabash Landing shops in West Lafayette.
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    • GbowApril 12, 2008 11:09 AM
      Have been to the Montana Mikes in Edinburgh. It was awful. I would put in down with one of the worst chains I've ever walked into. The food was bad, the service was not much better and I left thinking I should have just stopped at Arby's instead.
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    • GbowApril 12, 2008 11:16 AM
      Yats on the other hand is kind of fun..decent food with a godd price...kinda of a lunch spot. I like the orginal store down on Mass, but have been to the new one in Greenwood. Something different at a good price point in a very causual environment.
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