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The Fishers Test Kitchen, which is expected to open next month at The Yard at Fishers District, has replaced one of the members of its inaugural class of chefs.
Chef Leisha Berg has decided to “step away from the project,” Fishers city officials announced Monday. Berg had planned to run West Coast Nook, featuring California-inspired street food.
Taking her place will be King Dough Pizza owners Adam and Alicia Sweet, who will launch their concept, Natural State Provisions.
Natural State Provisions will feature menu items such as fried chicken, doughnuts, and root-beer-braised pork, among other dishes inspired by food from Adam Sweet’s hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Fishers Test Kitchen is a restaurant accelerator developed by the city of Fishers and Launch Fishers. It is scheduled to open in February inside the Sun King Fishers Innovation Brewery building.
Other inaugural chefs announced in September are Rook co-owner and chef Carlos Salazar, who will operate global street food concept Lil Dumplings, and brothers Jung Min Kim and Jung Gyu Kim, who will operate Korave Korean BBQ.
The Sweets launched King Dough Pizza in Bloomington in 2015 and opened a second location in Indianapolis’ Holy Cross neighborhood at 452 N. Highland Ave. late last year.
“Adam and Alicia Sweet are simply a slam-dunk addition to our Fishers Test Kitchen lineup,” said John Wechsler, Launch Fishers and Indiana IoT Lab co-founder, in written remarks. “They understand the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and we expect them to be an exciting addition to the entrepreneurial culture of Fishers.”
Chefs at the Fishers Test Kitchen are expected to take up residency at the kitchen for one to two years, showcasing their food, gaining business skills, and building a local following in preparation for moving on to open their own locations. As each chef leaves, another aspiring restaurant owner will be chosen to take his or her place.
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Oh good! Another pizza place in Fishers! 🙄
It would help if you actually read the article…
They are the owners of existing King Dough Pizza. They won’t be opening more pizza but their new concept, Natural State Provisions, which is not pizza. You did read the article…right?
What a vibrant and entreprenuerial change!
Will look forward to some of these turning into new Fishers restaurants with a local flavor. Nothing against the national chains, but it will be nice to have some more local offerings. What a great idea to help advance that and hopefully get away from the tired pizza jokes at some point! Obviously Fishers loves it’s pizza or they wouldn’t all be here. I tend to think the market dictates what consumers want to eat and not the mayor! I love the opportunity the test kitchen will give to launch new ideas and hoping they stay in Fishers. They will IF consumers support them, but I my doubts about that. We say we want variety, but then look where we go. I hope with Fishers growth as a city that we can support a variety of eateries. Time will tell.
I give it five years…..tops.