A User’s Guide To The Yard At Fishers District

The city of Fishers seems to have a lot of fun building new stuff. With Ikea, Top Golf, and Portillo’s still fairly new to town, the city is finishing up with an ambitious new project: The Yard. Short of an outdoor mall but more than a couple of strip malls, The Yard will have a unique mix of restaurants, bars, shops, and living spaces.

Fishers mayor Scott Fadness, who worked with Thompson Thrift Retail Group for years developing the project, wanted to give his city’s residents something different.

“We were seeing a change in the retail market,” says Fadness. “People were moving away from big-box retail. There was a real desire in Fishers for different culinary experiences.”

The Yard is about more than just food, though. To use the technical term, it’s a “multi-use development,” mixing in the restaurants with retail and living space.

“Our focus was to create more of a sense of place, make it more pedestrian-friendly,” says Fadness. “By bringing in a hotel, by bringing in multi-family [living], it really allows for a ‘live-work-play’ scenario that you don’t see traditionally in large power-suburban retail areas.”

While construction is still underway, plenty of restaurants and entertainment spots have already been announced—some of which plan to open as early as mid-November.

RESTAURANTS

Fishers Test Kitchen

The baby of Launch Fishers and Mayor Fadness, the Test Kitchen will feature three kitchens housing four chefs, who all happen to be Fishers residents, opening up to a shared space with Sun King Brewery. Each kitchen bay will feature the chef’s own cuisine, ranging from Korean barbecue to California comfort food to global street food. The shared location will be able to seat 350 people and also has a rooftop deck area.

The area will also feature a horseshoe bar seating 15 people where chefs can perform cooking demonstrations and do private dinners. On the back side of the restaurant, there will be a walk-up window for picking up orders.

The Test Kitchen hopes to open up in early November.

Pier 48

This fish house and oyster bar serves seafood delivered within 24 hours of its harvest from a family-owned fishery in the south of Maine.

101 Beer Kitchen

An Ohio-based craft brewhouse is opening its first Indiana location at The Yard. 101 Beer Kitchen has 20 brews on tap that change with the seasons, and also serves wine, mead, and house and seasonal cocktails. But the spot considers itself “food-first,” so the kids don’t get left out.

Sun King Brewery

Already dominant in Carmel, Indianapolis, and Fishers, Sun King Brewery further spreads its roots in Central Indiana with another Fishers location. The brewery has 23 taps and also a lengthy list of spirits and comfort food.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

The name speaks for itself. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has a long list of intriguing combinations—some that evoke vacation, others that can be downed after a workout. There’s also a wide variety of sandwiches, wraps, bowls, and more.

St. Elmo 1933 Lounge

Perched above St. Elmo’s Steak House in downtown Indy, 1933 Lounge will also be making its way to The Yard this fall. The old-fashioned bar will bring to town its signature “Elmo Cola” (glass bottle of Coke or Diet Coke infused with Maker’s Mark bourbon, imported Italian Luxardo Maraschino cherries, and Madagascar vanilla beans, served with the bar’s famous “Drunken Cherries”).

Sangiovese Ristorante

Located in the Ironworks at Keystone on 86th Street, the Italian dinner spot of more than 25 years will be opening a second location at The Yard.

Kincaid’s Meat Market

Since opening in 1921, this butcher shop has been a northside mainstay for nearly a century and will move even further north this fall.

Rize Cafe

Located in Ironworks at Keystone, the northside breakfast-and-lunch spot has a menu geared toward those thinking healthy, with a multitude of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Rize also has three smoothies on the menu and three alcoholic beverages, depending on the type of boost you need early in the day.

Nicey Treat

Whether it’s their Indianapolis locations or frozen-treat trucks, you may have seen Nicey around. If not, though, you’ll get a taste at The Yard. Some of their frozen-pop flavors include strawberry mint, mango ginger, and frozen hot chocolate.

HC Tavern and Kitchen

1933 Lounge won’t be the only St. Elmo property setting stakes in The Yard. The restaurant’s owner is opening HC Tavern and Kitchen, an upscale spot that will feature steaks, salads, and sandwiches.

Bibibop Asian Grill

A new twist on the popular Korean dish of bibimbap, this fast-fresh restaurant just finalized their lease at The Yard and is set to open in 2020.

Site rendering of The Yard at Fishers District
Courtesy The Yard

HOTELS

Hyatt Place/Hyatt House

Much like its twin in downtown Indianapolis, the dual-branded Hyatt Place and Hyatt House will give guests more than enough options to choose the kind of room they want to stay in for the night (or week).

The Mark

Opening early next year, The Mark will hold 252 luxury apartments.

OTHER SPOTS

Pet People

Pet store selling natural dog and cat food, along with high-quality supplies.

Verizon

Phones “R” Us!

Cell Phone Repair

Drop your phone? Cell Phone Repair heals all (screen) cracks and fractures.

Massage Heights

Feeling tense? Massage Heights handles all massage-related needs and skin therapy.

Blue Peppermint Boutique

The Fishers clothing shop is taking its tops, bottoms, boots, and more to a second location in town.

Havana Cigar Lounge

Joining the 1933 Lounge and its Prohibition theme, this cigar-and-whiskey haven will feature a state-of-the-art ventilation system, outdoor patio, and boardroom for meetings and private events.

Epic Interval Training

Have a shirt you’re just dying to sweat through? This spot will put you through an intense, yet fun, high-intensity-interval-training (HIIT) workout that will leave you exhausted.

The Hot Room

If you haven’t perspired enough, the Hot Room’s hot yoga and Pilates may be what you’re looking for.

CycleBar

According to The Yard, this fitness studio is the first and only premier indoor cycling franchise with over 200 locations currently open. Fishers will add to their projected goal of 250 studios slated to open by the end of the year.