April proved to be one of the busiest months of the year so far in terms of restaurant turnover. Westfield continued to develop, welcoming six dining concepts as part of its Westfield Collective food hall and entertainment venue, while downtown Indianapolis saw the return of Aroma Indian Cuisine among other openings.
Meanwhile, Garfield Park lost arguably its buzziest eatery after less than two years, and Fishers said farewell to a pair of restaurants with more than 15 combined years of service in central Indiana. And that’s without mentioning Milktooth, which you will not find in our closings list as it pivots to a new concept called Arlene’s.
After a month of tumult, here are some of the Indianapolis-area restaurants that opened and closed in April.
Restaurants that opened in April
The Besties’ Table
4022 Shelby St., (317) 292-4379, tcbesties.com, opened March 29
Indy native and Indiana University graduate Tyler Williams has taken his catering operation from The AMP at 16 Tech to a brick-and-mortar location on the southeast side. The Besties’ Table serves Southern- and soul food-inspired breakfast and brunch, with dishes like chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, gumbo grits and wings alongside an extensive bar menu. Most entrées cost between $15 and $25.
Founder’s Grounds Coffee Company at Speedway City Garage
1552 Main St., Speedway, (317) 981-5358, foundersgrounds.com, opened April 1
A large brick venue on Speedway’s Main Street dubbed Speedway City Garage welcomed its first tenant, Founder’s Ground Coffee, which moved to the new space from its shop a few blocks south, which opened in 2021. Along with assorted coffees, Founder’s Grounds offers soup and sandwiches.
Westfield Collective restaurants
750 E. 181st St., Westfield, westfieldcollective.com, opened April 15
Located by Westfield’s Grand Park Sports Complex, Westfield Collective is the follow-up to co-owners Mike and Heather Ewers’ Liberty Collective, a similar food hall and entertainment venue that opened in the Cincinnati area last year. In addition to a tap room and three bars, the Westfield version features six dining concepts, most of which also operate a location at the Liberty Collective.
Fork and Fire Bowls is a new concept from Four Mile Brands, which owns four other restaurants at the Westfield Collective. This health-centric outpost offers build-your-own salads and stir fries a la Sweetgreen or Cava.
Zaria Pizzeria is the Collective’s only other Westfield-born concept, slinging an array of New York-style pizzas, salads and appetizers.
The District Creamery brings its brand of ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, cakes and other sweets from the Liberty Collective.
Roberto and Miguel’s blends the Guatemalan backgrounds of its owners with familiar Mexican and Mexican American fare like tacos, burritos and nachos.
Ms. Lei Lei’s, another Liberty Collective native, serves chicken tenders, sandwiches, fries and onion rings courtesy of chef Jarrod Ante.
Bristol’s Beef, Burgers and BBQ, true to its name, serves a meat-forward blend of sandwiches, platters and sides. Bristol’s also operates locations in Liberty Township and Mesa, Ariz.
Aroma Indian Cuisine downtown
110 S. Pennsylvania St., (317) 734-3814, aromaindy.com, opened mid-April
A year after Aroma quietly shuttered its Fletcher Place and Meridian-Kessler locations, the upscale Indian eatery has returned in the space across from Gainbridge Fieldhouse left vacant since the closure of Gallery Bistro and Bar in August 2024. Aroma serves a wide array of meat and vegetable curries ($15 to $29), biryani ($15 to $18) and chaat (various fried dough snacks, around $10) alongside an extensive drink menu. The Carmel City Center location of Aroma, which opened in 2024, is no longer listed on the restaurant’s website and its phone line did not receive calls as of late April.
Pax Verum Brewing at Speedway City Garage
1552 Main St., Speedway, paxverum.com, opened April 24
This Lapel-based brewery joins Founder’s Grounds in the Speedway City Garage, pouring an eclectic lineup of brews like peanut butter and jelly-inspired Lunchbox Surprise sour, haze-heavy Velvety Kush New England IPA and a special-edition Speedway City lager crafted for the brewery’s new outpost.
Restaurants that closed in April
Tilly’s Tea Room
8701 E. 116th St., Fishers, closed mid-March to early April
A welcome message on the home page of this British-inspired tea room thanks customers for more than 10 years of support, first in Fishers, then inside Saks Fifth Avenue at the Keystone Fashion Mall and once again in Fishers since 2024. In the good-bye message, owner Sharon Moore wrote, “2025 was personally one of the most challenging years of my life, and I want to switch my focus to family and the next chapter for me.” Moore noted that Tilly’s still plans to keep its catering business, though its days as a tea room are over. Its next-door sister restaurant, the fish and chips-forward Max and Tilly’s, closed in February.
Cumaco Arepa House
9642 Allisonville Road, Fishers, closed April 25
In a video posted to Cumaco’s social media accounts, co-owner Mairin Sánchez thanked her customers for supporting her and her husband Orlando’s Venezuelan eatery for six years. “Thank you for choosing us, for believing in us and for being part of this story,” Sánchez said in Spanish in the video. “Cumaco wasn’t just a place to eat; it was a space to connect, to share and to feel at home. Today we close this chapter, but we will carry each memory in our hearts.”
Café Babette
2627 Shelby St., closed April 25
This popular Garfield Park bakery, known as much for its visually extravagant pastries as for the massive lines it drew each weekend, closed after less than two years as owners Cheyenne and Ryan Norris plan to move to Spain. In a series of Instagram posts, the Norrises cited what they believe will be a lower cost of living in Spain as well as the current American political climate for the pivot. Café Babette’s last Saturday in operation drew long lines before sunrise, according to the bakery’s Instagram story.
Know of an opening or closing in your neighborhood? Let dining reporter Bradley Hohulin know at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Restaurant news: Popular bakery closes, Westfield food hall opens in April
Reporting by Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
