INSIDE DISH: Italian eatery tables expansion amid downturn
Aaron O'Mara, co-owner of Augustino's, expected to open several locales until the economic downturn and a dip in sales scuttled those plans. Now he hopes to hold the line.
Inside Dish
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INSIDE DISH: Mexican mainstay puts second spot on front burner
After 25 years at La Margarita, stabilizing sales and surviving family tragedy, owner Lori Rangel-Grubbs is branching out to Fountain Square.
INSIDE DISH: Monon restaurant gets lesson in shifting gears
Tim Williams learned to make big changes on the fly during the first year of his fledgling Broad Ripple eatery, including scrapping counter service, adding a wait staff and revamping the menu.
INSIDE DISH: ‘Diners’ TV spot boon and bane for Jersey’s Cafe
After a massive spike in traffic sparked by a Food Network show, owner Blair Laing must deal with food shortages, employee departures and long waits for patrons.
INSIDE DISH: Irvington cafe knows its audience
John Robertson swore he'd never go into the restaurant biz. Now his comfort-food oasis is an east-side institution, in part for hemming to its historic surroundings and middle-class roots.
INSIDE DISH: St. Elmo stakes out expansion plan
Co-owner Craig Huse's designs to create a 3,000-square-foot bar above the landmark eatery is just another example of Elmo's tradition-based evolution.
INSIDE DISH: Cafe bolsters base of Turkish food fans
Ascending from server to owner of Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe, Orhan Demirtas has leveraged a relationship with Eli Lilly and Co. to diversify revenue, and solidified his base by opening a new breakfast cafe and hookah bar.
INSIDE DISH: Arsenal owners’ ploy is gaming plus grubbing
Gameroom lords Andrew Chang and Troy Branam want players to come for Dungeons & Dragons and stay for the Wizards Gumbo.
INSIDE DISH: Egyptian Cafe posts hot profits, fears smoking ban
Mohey Osman has breathed life into a Middle Eastern tradition at the Broad Ripple eatery and hooka bar, but a state smoking ban could choke the business.
INSIDE DISH: Squealers goes whole hog on franchising
Jeff Yater has ushered his meat-lovers concept from the barbecue competition circuit to two Indy-area restaurants. Now he wants to recruit wannabe franchisees with $500,000 and a passion for chicken, beef and pork.
INSIDE DISH: Venezuelan chef keeps day job, hatches big plan
Daniel Blanco took a serious shot at the restaurant biz, working 19-hour days as both a truck driver and owner of a South American eatery, with more on the way.
INSIDE DISH: Recess owner keeps it simple, plans expansion
After initial trepidation over its chef-centric concept and urban location, Recess' Greg Hardesty plans to open another school-themed eatery.
INSIDE DISH: Saffron Cafe surges in second year
After a $150,000 startup and skin-of-their-teeth opening in 2009, sales at downtown's Moroccan eatery have spiked as word has spread.
INSIDE DISH: Irvington favorite breaks off slice for Greenwood
The owners of Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza had seen other local eateries sink after expanding. They weighed many risks before pulling the trigger.
INSIDE DISH: Santorini to return in short order
Owner Taki Sawi received a crash course in getting a restaurant back on its feet after a catastrophic fire on Oct. 11. The Greek eatery is slated to reopen in mid-December.
INSIDE DISH: Entrepreneur eschews MBA, opens French cafe
Emilie Myers is getting all the practical experience she can handle as she and her mother (owner of Zionsville’s late The Pie Safe) try to push La Mie Emilie into the black.
INSIDE DISH: Cajun couple plays to strengths
Deb and Carter Hutchinson, owners of Mooresville's unlikely Creole hotspot Zydeco's, have made a living through their gifts for shifting gears. Created on little more than a whim, the eatery thrives on its out-of-left-field approach.
INSIDE DISH: Sales slacking, Smee’s owner seeks solutions
The recession, competition and maybe even familiarity have pushed Tim Smeehuyzen’s north-side haunt into the red.
INSIDE DISH: Sun King brewery blazes past initial sales goals
Founded in 2008, Indy's first production brewery in decades already has blitzed five-year goals and plans to ramp up capacity to as much as 12,000 barrels per year, says co-owner Clay Robinson.
INSIDE DISH: Iozzo’s endures heat of first year
In a first year filled with adjustments, fledgling restaurateur Katie
Harris of Iozzo's outlines lessons learned from the $350,000 start-up and fluctuating sales.