INDIANAPOLIS -- Kimbal Musk's The Kitchen Restaurant Group has officially signed a lease to turn the empty Double 8 Foods building in Meridian-Kessler into its latest Next Door restaurant.
The building, located at the intersection of 46th Street and College Avenue, has sat empty since July 2015, when Double 8 Foods finally shuttered its remaining stores.
Originally a Kroger Market, the building was designed by Indiana architects Edward Pierre and George Wright. Other Pierre & Wright buildings include the Sears Roebuck building at 320 N. New Jersey Street, the Indiana State Library and Historical Building and the Mile Stuart Memorial Building at Arsenal Tech High School.
Pencil drawings circa 1932 by architects Pierre & Wright. (Copyright 2011. Ball State University)
The building is currently owned by Eric Gershman, of Gershman Partners.
“Getting this property to market was truly a collaborative neighborhood effort,” Gershman said in a press release Wednesday. “Our vision for this building will come to life with Next Door bringing renewed energy to this corner. We are confident that Don, Kimbal and The Kitchen team will pay homage to its history as a food center for the community.”
Plans for the restaurant call for Next Door to have seating for 120 guests inside and an additional 50 on the patio. The company is hoping to have it open by November.
Next Door will be the second Indianapolis location for Musk – who is the brother of Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. The company previously announced plans to open a Hedge Row farm-to-table restaurant on Massachusetts Avenue.
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