Updated Oct. 1, 2026, 12:09 p.m. ET
The infamously slow restaurant season of late summer has drawn to a close. In its absence, a number of new dining concepts cropped up around the Indianapolis area last month. September brought Puerto Rican flavors downtown, Japanese sushi and hibachi to Greenwood and a familiar name in Italian eats to Carmel, among other new restaurants. And although closings were sparse in September, a popular steakhouse mini-chain exited Greenwood and arguably the greatest tenderloin maker in Indiana (at least, according to several IndyStar readers) called it a career up in Akron.
Here are some of the Indy-area restaurants that opened and closed in September.
Restaurants that opened in SeptemberCasa Jayuya
148 N. Delaware St., opened Sept. 4
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Less than three months after China King concluded its 34-year run downtown, west side-based mobile operation Pope’s Puertorrican has opened a brick-and-mortar location that serves a variety of Puerto Rican staples including mofongo (mashed plantain mixed with pork and other fillings, $8.49), alcapurrias (green plantain and taro fritters, $5 each), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas, $7.49) and a handful of meat and rice plates ($18.49 to $24) that combine Puerto Rico’s Spanish Creole and broader Caribbean influences.
Velvet Roast
17576 Alba Lane, Westfield, velvetroastcafe.com, opened Sept. 4
Located on the eastern edge of Westfield, Velvet Roast operates morning to evening, selling hot and iced coffee drinks as well as chai and matcha ($5.95 to $7.95), small breakfast dishes such as avocado toast ($5) and egg sandwiches ($5.95) and a variety of bakery sweets (around $3 each).
Clark’s Coffee
1711 E. Michigan St., (317) 919-9427, opened Sept. 25
After four years on the pop-up circuit, Clark’s Coffee held a soft opening for its new brick-and-mortar location on the Near Eastside in the same building as Bulgarian-inspired café and bistro Yazsh. The cozy green- and blue-walled shop offers standard coffee beverages and craft lattes ($4 to $6) with flavors like brown sugar and bay leaf, salted caramel bourbon and orange fig.
1535 W. Stones Crossing Road, Greenwood, (317) 864-2049, fujiyamaindy.com, opened Sept. 25
After more than four decades on the southeast side, this Japanese steakhouse has brought its brand of pan-Asian cuisine to Greenwood. Fujiyama’s appetizer menu ranges from Japanese tonkatsu ($7) and gyoza ($8) to Korean fried chicken and bulgogi ($7) and Chinese American egg rolls ($6), with an entrée menu heavy on seafood ($15.50 to $21.50), hibachi-grilled meat and vegetables ($14.50 to $19.50) and hot and cold noodle dishes (around $14).
Ambrosia Carmel
110 W. Main St., Carmel, (317) 548-3589, ambrosiacarmel.com, opened Sept. 26
A month after closing its short-lived French-inspired concept Josephine, the Ambrosia Hospitality Group revived its space on Carmel’s Main Street as the second location of the Italian restaurant that started it all back in 1979. Ambrosia’s Carmel outpost sports an almost identical menu to that of its sister, with plenty of seafood appetizers and entrées, housemade pastas ($26 to $29) and a large selection of surf and turf ($31 to $39).
Restaurants that closed in SeptemberJonesy’s Junction
906 E. Rochester St., Akron, closed end of August
Though Akron is squarely outside the Star’s typical coverage range, the closure of Jonesy’s Junction merits inclusion if only because the small-town diner may have had the single best pork tenderloin sandwich in a state full of great ones. Owner Tim Jones grew up eating Indiana’s signature sandwich and long aspired to make them for a living. He made this dream a reality starting in the early 2010s with a food trailer and finally opened his own restaurant in 2016. Last year, Jonesy’s rode Jones’ tenderloin talent and the support of its Akron community to victory in IndyStar’s Tenderloin Tourney. After years of serving up assorted Americana comfort food, Jones announced in early August that he would retire at the end of the month to prioritize his health. In one last farewell Facebook post, Jones wrote that the restaurant was incredibly busy in its last few weeks.
The purveyor behind the pork: Jonesy’s Junction named best tenderloin in IndianaHarmony Steakhouse – Greenwood
5145 Noggle Way, Greenwood, closed Sept. 10
While Whitestown-based Harmony Steakhouse has grown rapidly since opening in late 2020, its Greenwood location bowed out after just over two years. The Japanese steakhouse mini-chain still offers hibachi, sushi, ramen and udon at its Carmel, downtown Indianapolis and Whitestown locations.
Know of a restaurant that opened or closed in your neighborhood? Let dining reporter Bradley Hohulin know at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Instagram @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
