Fountain Square record store to nearly double in size, add kitchen

A Fountain Square record store plans to add a kitchen as part of its expansion into a neighboring retail space.

Square Cat Vinyl, 1054 Virginia Ave., plans to nearly double in size, adding about 2,400 square feet that was previously occupied by Vintage Vogue, a Goodwill store for fashionable second-hand clothing that closed in March 2020.

The record store presently occupies one half of the roughly 5,100-square-foot building and has reached an agreement with Carmel-based property owner North Hill Realty LLC to take over the rest, co-owner Patrick Burtch told IBJ.

The store’s expansion will allow it to spread out its product offerings, as well as build a kitchen at the rear of the space. The additional space will also allow Square Cat to expand its coffee and alcohol bar.

The expansion also creates an opportunity for the business to offer live music—a staple for several businesses in the neighborhood—although that might not occur immediately after the expansion.

Square Cat opened in 2016 and is currently owned by self-proclaimed “vinyl dorks” Burtch and Mike Angel.

Burtch said adding food service “makes a lot of sense” as part of the expansion, since Square Cat already features a full coffee and alcohol bar. He expects the focus will be on a simple breakfast and lunch menu, at least to start. 

“Quicker-type breakfast items, like bagels and sandwiches, are definitely something we’re going to do, but outside of that we’re still working through the rest of the menu,” he said. “We’re leaning a little bit toward a traditional diner fare … but maybe with a little bit better quality ingredients.”

Burtch said adding food could help fill a void in Fountain Square, which generally doesn’t have many breakfast options. Pastries also could be on the menu, he said.

Square Cat previously planned to open another location inside The Garage food hall at the Bottleworks District (which opens Tuesday on the northeast end of Mass Ave), but ultimately backed out because of the pandemic. That location would have been about 560 square feet and focused entirely on music.

Burtch said the ownership team wanted to focus more on the original store due to financial strains caused by the pandemic and concerns that adding another location could stretch them too thin.

“We’re focusing our energy on this current project,” he said.

Square Cat’s expansion is expected to be complete by the end of spring. Indianapolis-based Neon Architecture is the design firm on the project.