Mary Milz/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis, April 17 - Open since 1902, St. Elmo is one of the city's oldest restaurants, known for its succulent steaks and firey shrimp cocktail.
Now after 104 years in the heart of downtown, the owners of St. Elmo are staking out new territory. They plan to open Harry and Izzy's just a stone's throw away, inside Circle Center Mall.
The new restaurant will take up the old Tarkington's and the Colt's Pro-shop and Hat World, which will move elsewhere in the mall. The new restaurant will cover 9-thousand square feet.
Co-Owner Craig Huse told Inside Indiana Business with the new stadium and convention center expansion in the works, the timing couldn't be much better.
We'd like to create growth...We have unmet demand at St. Elmo. We were on a four-hour wait during the final four and a lot of nights, there's just not the capacity we need..
Huse says the new two-story restaurant will have the same prohibition-era feel as St. Elmo and instead of just dinner, will serve lunch as well.
The new place will pretty much offer the same menu as St. Elmo, but much more, including pasta and burgers.
St. Elmo patrons, used to long waits, like the idea. And so does John Feeney, the evening manager of the nearby Canterbury hotel, .
"I think it's great for the city. It means more opportunities for bigger and better conventions.
Huse hopes the restaurant is ready to go by early December.
