Las Vegas concept that exited Broad Ripple plans to take over former Hard Rock Cafe location

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26 thoughts on “Las Vegas concept that exited Broad Ripple plans to take over former Hard Rock Cafe location

  1. “I don’t want anyone who visits my establishment to get harmed. I don’t want anyone walking by to get harmed.”

    I’m sure Davis’ statement was sincerely expressed. But, in order to live up to that statement, she might want to reconsider a couple of small things: the name of the business, the business model, the concept, the design, the clients, the management, the marketing, …

    1. Totally agree. Interesting how their tenure in Broad Ripple coincided with the uptick in violence in that district.

  2. It’s so nice to finally have a restaurant on that corner. Such a prominent location and a beautiful building. Hopefully soon a restaurant will open where Rock Bottom was located. It was nice to have outdoor dining at that location. Currently such a void along Washington Street.

    1. Nothing to do with mayor here. If not mistaken, column describes free market at work. I didn’t read where mayor Joe contacted building owner and subsidized 10 year rental agreement to a bar with a vegas theme. Smh

    2. I mean, virtually every vacant business referenced in this article (and the chit-chat below) had a solid tenant before Hogsett started his illustrious role leading the state’s largest city through the lens of the bottom of a bourbon bottle.

      Not saying all of those closures were Hogsett’s fault. And I was no fan of the schlub Ballard. But Ballard was like another Hudnut, or even a Fiorello LaGuardia, when positioned next to Hogsett.

      Hogsett can’t be blamed for the COVID-19 lockdown idiocy–the social pressure was more powerful than the Commander-in-Chief at that time, and it even seemed legitimate for the first few weeks. But Hogsett was more than happy to prolong it at a point when the rest of Indiana was fully reopened. And his championing of riots, his weak-willed response to criminality (abetted by the “root causes” imbecile Mears), the fact that the city seems dirty for the first time…all has helped lay City Market to waste. It was stronger than it had even been in my life during Ballard. And City Market is just the start. Woo hoo, a new Starbucks opened. How many have closed?

      Hard Rock Café was a hip thing in the late 80s and 90s. Remember how people used to collect shirts of all the cities? Now it’s international chain past its prime, probably making more money from casinos than restaurants. But it was a reliable DT Indy tenant for many years that did NOT have the reputation of attracting thuggery.

      The Reddit chatter says it all. After one embarrassing failure, why ARE people still lending Ms. Davis the money to repeat it? She may be a nice person and her desire not to see anyone “harmed” is probably truthful, but she’s already cooked up a recipe for criminality once. It’s sad that a prime corner in a beautiful historic building is probably more desperate for a tenant than a nondescript Broad Ripple strip.

    3. Lauren B. “The Reddit chatter says it all” Did you really site Reddit as your source, LOL!
      Well, by all means, if it’s on Reddit, we should all believe it. Hysterical!

  3. A 3AM shoot out bar? Wouldn’t that be a Republican party bar with patrons exercising their 2nd Amendment rights as enhanced by Indiana law allowing pretty much anyone to walk around armed???

    1. Truly remarkable how, despite the Republican party being armed to the teeth, at least 90% of all violence takes place in Democrat-run jurisdictions…even in places like Chicago where it is difficult (nearly impossible) to acquire a gun lawfully.

      Partisan clowns like Tim will never address this, but, then, that’s what makes them partisan clowns.

      This was a problem property in Broad Ripple; it would be delusional to think it will somehow bring a higher caliber of clientele in DT Indy. At least one of the many long-vacant downtown spots is getting a tenant.

      Prediction: violence within the first month, a homicide within the first three months, compounding homicides within the first year, followed by another closure….all while helping yank a few more nearby businesses away from downtown along with it.

      The Hogsett claque makes being cynical so easy. They get excited when a smoke shop opens.

    2. I don’t think she’s had any problems with her location on East 56th Street that she opened.

  4. I feel downtown Indy is still really reliant on three things: Colts/Pacers/Indians games, larger events happening at the stadiums/WRSP/Murat, and conventions. Whereas Broad Ripple’s strength is more locals going out for the weekend, particularly locals in the area.

    There’s no right or wrong way to run a business, but I just think the change in location to a larger venue isn’t a guarantee for success.

    1. Downtown also benefits from 30,000 residents living there. They are both young professionals and retired boomers with money to spend.

  5. The comments are hilarious but at the same time it’s clear there’s a disconnect with some of you. Indy wants to be considered as a city and when people visit here they should leave with that impression as well, that they just visited a major US city. Mrs Davis could have taken her idea to ATL, Miami, Cincinnati, Louisville, Chicago ect but she chose to bring her concept to her hometown. She can’t be held accountable for how others conduct themselves but how she manage her establishment. Visitors have said it a thousand times that Indy doesn’t give much as far as entertainment. After attending a convention or sporting event, there needs to be more to do than just go out to eat. If Vegas, a city built in the middle of the desert could establish itself, then surely a city in the middle of the Midwest not far from sprawling cornfields couldn’t do the same.

    1. Why would Ms. Davis have taken her idea to those other cities? She already runs multiple other businesses in Indy. In her defense, at least some of those businesses seem competently managed. But a Vegas-knockoff that became a criminal hotbed for Broad Ripple in just one year…why would we expect to repeat the formula downtown and somehow think it would draw folks from Carmel?

      And what sort of convention folks are going to go to a place like this? We get firefighters, FFA, and GenCon. Organizations who want Vegas chintz for their trade shows will go to Vegas, or Biloxi, or–if they don’t have enough money–Atlantic City. There might be a few questions you should answer yourself before you accuse other people of “disconnect”.

  6. Good luck, but it sounds pretty cheesy and tacky…kind of a wanna’ be but never will be. I figure it to be short-lived, but laugh at how politics is mixed into all this. Juvenile. Nonetheless…good luck.

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