I’ve lived in Indiana nearly all my life and lately have been getting to know the Downtown Indianapolis area since I’ve moved closer. I’ve been delighted to realize there’s a plethora of a host of thriving small businesses that can easily meet your needs and interests.
When COVID-19 began, so many of us watched small businesses we love close their doors, and we were reminded how integral these businesses are in creating the city we call home and how important our support is in keeping them afloat to serve us another day.
This post is my attempt to make it super easy for anyone, local or visitor, to find a small business they can support when they’re in downtown Indianapolis. I relied on this map of Indianapolis neighborhoods to define my boundaries of downtown Indy as:
- South of 18th street
- West of College Avenue or I-65/I-70
- East of the White River
- North of Morris Street and I-65/I-70
MY CRITERIA
To make this list, a small business had to have these criteria:
- Have a brick & mortar store in downtown Indianapolis
- Have no more than 5 brick & mortar locations
- Provide a product or service that a typical tourist might seek (dining, shopping, hotels, tours – not small biz like marketing agencies, religious organizations, or lawn care)
I’ve sorted this post by type of business (restaurant, bar, cafe, shop, etc), and I’ve included a map for each category so you can find something near you at a glance. Because this post is gargantuan already, I am not going in depth about each spot but I’ll be adding future posts that are more zoomed in to share my favorites.
The Small Businesses Key
CAPITALIZED BUSINESSES – Ones that I’ve personally visited and love
Italicized businesses – Businesses with some affiliation to Indiana history (example: a historic building, site of Indiana culture, local establishment that has been in Indianapolis for decades)
* – A business which exceeds 5 locations but I felt important to include anyway
^ – A business that is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 at the time of the last post update
A COVID-19 Disclaimer
Please note that most businesses are experiencing different hours of operation, limited menus or services, or other modifications due to COVID-19. I highly recommend checking with each establishment before a visit to confirm they’re hours of operation. I’ve tried to capture which establishments are temporarily closed, but things are constantly changing.
Additionally, I am not encouraging you to travel to Indiana now if you’re not local, and I urge you all to listen to the guidelines set forth by reputable health organizations like the CDC and WHO. I hope this post is a resource of places you might be able to support during this pandemic instead of bigger corporations, and a resource when travel becomes safe again.


Small Business Restaurants in Downtown Indianapolis
European
- Iozzo’s Garden of Italy (Italian)
- Mimi Blues (Italian)
- Fresco Italian Cafe on the Canal (Italian)
- Greek Islands (Greek)
- Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe (Turkish)
- The Rathskeller (German Cuisine & Biergarten)
Mexican and Latin American
- Carniceria Guanajuato #1
- Black Market
- Guanajuato Restaurante
- ^ Dos Hombres Taco House
- Tortas Guicho Dominguez
- La Margarita Fountain Square (Indy’s Mexican Spot since 1984)
Asian
- India Garden (Indian)
- Taichi Asian Grill House (Chinese)
- Asian Harbor (Japanese & Chinese)
- Bento Asian Bistro (Sushi, Chinese, Thai)
- Mikado (Japanese)
- Wei Ramen (Japanese)
- Thaitanium (Thai)
- Siam Square (Thai)
- Bangkok Restaurant and Jazz Bar (Thai)
- Sushi Boss (Sushi)
- Rook (Street Food Inspired Contemporary Asian)
- Mori Sushi (Sushi & Ramen)
Soups, Salads & Sandwiches
African
- Axum Ethiopian Restaurant (Ethiopian)
- Saffron Cafe (Moroccan)
- Sultana Cafe and Hookah Bar (Egyptian)
Pizza
- Napolese* (Part of Patachou Inc)
- Greek’s Pizzeria Downtown
- Enzo Pizza
- Giorgio’s Pizza (Founded in 1990)
- Tammy’s International Pizza
- King Dough
American
- ^ Conner’s Kitchen & Bar
- FortyFive Degrees (American & Sushi)
- Bluebeard
- Repeal
- Public Greens* (Farm to Table; Part of Patachou Inc)
Burgers, Wings & Pub Food
- Punch Burger (Locally sourced burgers)
- Burger Study
- Wing Squad
- SOS Pub Indianapolis
- Basey’s Downtown Grill (Est 1982)
Seafood and Steakhouse Restaurants in Indianapolis
- The Boiling Seafood & Bar (Seafood)
- Salt on Mass (Seafood)
- Geraldine’s Supper Club & Lounge (Steakhouse)
Breakfast Restaurants in Indianapolis
- *Cafe Patachou (Breakfast & Lunch, Est. 1980, Part of Patachou Inc)
- Maxine’s Chicken & Waffles (Breakfast & Comfort Food)
- BRU Burger Bar (Burgers)
- Vida
- Livery (Latin American)
- Union 50 (Seasonal Local Inspired)
- Mesh
- Nesso (Italian – Temporarily Closed for COVID-19)
- Tavern at the Point
- Cafe 251
Small Business Cafes, Bakeries, & Sweet Treats in Downtown Indianapolis
Coffee
- Hubbard & Cravens (Temporarily closed for COVID)
- Bee Coffee Roaster
- Kaffeine Coffee Co
- Neidhammer Coffee Co
- Calvin Fletcher Coffee Company
- Amberson Coffee
- Lincoln Lane Coffee Co
- Tinker Coffee Co.
- Quills Coffee* (6 locations, but all in Indiana)
- Double Cupped (Closed for COVID to Aug 1)
Bubble Tea
- Moar Tea (plus poke bowls + burritos)
FroYo, Icecream, & Sweets
- South Bend Chocolate Co* (more than 5 locations, but all in Indiana)
- Circle City Sweets
Bakery
Cafe
- Ali Baba’s Cafe & Hookah Den
- Smash (Coffee shop w/ping pong tables for rent)
- Greenleaf Juicing Co
- Il Panino by Cafe Olivia
Small Business Bars, Pubs & Clubs in Downtown Indianapolis
Clubs and Lounges
- Gregs Our Place (est. 1980, first gay levi-leather bar in Indianapolis)
- The New AJ’s Lounge
Breweries
- Taxman CityWay
- Metazoa Brewing Company (dog park attached and 5% of profits go toward animal and wildlife organizations)
- St Joseph Brewery (Built in church building for Catholic parish dating back to 1873)
- Sun King Brewery
Bars, Pubs & Eateries
- Slippery Noodle Inn (Indiana’s Oldest continually operated bar in same building since 1850)
- Stadium Tavern (Building has continually operated a bar since ~1880)
- English Ivy’s (Gay Bar/LGBTQ Friendly – Currently close for COVID-19)
- Nine Irish Brother’s Pub (Irish)
- Chatham Tap
- Tini (Cocktail Bar)
- Mass Ave Pub
- MacNivens Restaurant & Bar (Scottish-American, building constructed in 1910)
- Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery
- Harding Pub & Grub
- Nicky Blaine’s Cocktail House
- The Ball & Biscuit (Indy’s Original Cocktail Bar)
- Liberty Street (building dates back to 1892 when it first served as a pub)
- Tin Roof
- State Street Pub
- Taps & Dolls
- Thunderbird (est 1950, themed drink menus + Indiana cuisine)
- The Inferno Room (Tiki Theme)
- Dugout Bar (est 1954)
- Tappers Arcade Bar (Games are free to play with purchase)
- The FlatIron
- The Tap
- Ralston’s Drafthouse
- Dorman Street Saloon (est. 1908)
- The 1718 Bates-Hendrick House Bar
- Brass Ring Lounge
- Sam’s Silver Circle
- Lockerbie Pub
Wine
- Easley Winery (Winery est. 1974
Small Business Services in Downtown Indianapolis
Local Indianapolis Hair Salons
- Bang (A Salon) (Hair + Waxing)
- Witch Hazel (Vegan-friendly Hair)
- Hair Around the Square (Hair + Nails)
- MDG Salon (Hair)
- Jaime Zentz Beauty Professional (Hair + Waxing)
- True Reflection Salon (Hair)
- Salon 333 (Hair)
- Mass Appeal (Hair)
Local Indianapolis Barbershops
Salons & Spas
- Studio 2000 Salon & Day Spa
- Esthenik_Skin by Nicole (Facials + Waxing)
- Holy Hands Beauty Salon N Spa (Hair, Nails, Makeup – specializing in all types of hair textures & hairstyles)
- Lockerbie Locks Downtown (Hair, Extensions, Nails, Skincare)
- The Naked Monkey (Waxing Salon)
- Moxie on Mass (Hair and Nails)
Nail Salons
Tattoo Parlors
Local Indianapolis Gyms & Fitness Studios
- The Hot Room (Hot Yoga, & HIIT Pilates)
- Lift Lab Co
- Naptown Fitness
- Invoke Studios (Yoga + Pilates)
- Practice Indie (Yoga)
Small Business Shops in Downtown Indianapolis
Gifts, Goods & Souvenirs
- Global Gifts (Non-profit Fair Trade gift shop, est. in 1985, featuring gifts from over 40 countries)
- Silver in the City (Gift Shop w/focus on Indiana themed items)
- Decorate (Gift Shop + Home Decor)
- Homespun (Contemporary Handmade & Locally Crafted Goods)
- Indy Reads Books (Non-profit Bookstore)
- The Public Collection (Book sharing)
- Windsor Jewelry (est. 1919)
- Home Grown Indy (Indy themed clothing store)
- Badger and the Mouse Emporium (Vintage shop)
- Midland Arts and Antiques Market (Antique store)
- Indy Artsy (Pottery studio & gift shop)
- Cento Shoes (Shoe repair – est. 1971)
- Sage Boutique (Clothing)
- Artisans (Artisan made goods)
- Three Dog Bakery (Pet)
- Nurture Baby & Child (Baby + Child)
Art/Hobby Supply Stores
- Nancy Lee Designs (Metalsmith)
- Crimson Tate (Quilting Supplies)
- Arthurs Music Store (Music Shop est 1952)
- Bicycle Garage Indy (Bike Shop & Repair Center)
Plants & Gardening Shops
- Andrews Florist (Flower shop est. 1949)
- JP Parker Flowers
- Grounded Plant Co (Plant store)
- Watt’s Blooming
Small Business Events & Attractions in Downtown Indianapolis
Galleries
- Long-Sharp Gallery
- Artmix Gallery (an Indianapolis-based nonp rofit, transforming the lives of people with disabilities through the creation of art)
Activities
- Mimosa and a Masterpiece (Painting Parties)
- The Pickled Peddlar (Party Bike Bar)
- Wheel Fun Rentals (Kayak Rentals)
- Wheel Fun Rentals (Bikes Rentals)
- Old World Gondoliers (Gondola Rides)
- Fountain Square Clay Center (Pottery open studio)
- The HandleBar (Party Bike Bar)
- Hoosier Dome (All ages DIY music venue)
Theaters/Shows
Small Business Hotels & Accommodations in Downtown Indianapolis
- Old Northside Bed & Breakfast (Built in 1885, unique Romanesque Revival architecture)
- The Looking Glass Inn (Built in 1905)
- Stone Soup Inn (Mission-style & Victorian-era antique decor)
- Harney House Inn
- Nestle Inn (Hotel built 1896 w/long Indy history)
Thanks for reading!
If you know of a small business in Downtown Indianapolis I missed, please send it my way! I’d love to add it. You can find other posts from me on Indiana below:
Like it? Bookmark it & Save it to Pinterest!
