The East Market Street restaurant row is undergoing a few changes, with one somewhat old timer leaving, and a long-anticipated new entry from across the river finally set to open.
Earth Friends Cafe, which has been filling the vegetarian/vegan slot among the NuLu dining choices, is closing its Market St. location to concentrate solely on its newer outlet on Market and Third St., at the northwest corner of the Convention Center.
Earth Friends owner Stacie Bale conceded that running two stores was logistically sort of crazy, and, although that site at 829 E. Market St. had good parking, it did not have a street-front presence, and so devoted regulars came happily, but foot traffic for new discoverers was limited. The downtown location is generating much more drop-in lunch business than was the NuLu location.
And, after some six months of renovation of the former Cake Flour space, Feast BBQ’s second location is set to open Thursday, Dec. 18, at 909 E. Market St. The space required extensive renovation, including installing a new kitchen and updating electrical and plumbing, exposing drywall-covered interior brick walls and adding a 25-foot art-deco-style bar.
Feast BBQ’s original location is at 116 W. Main St. in New Albany. Initial hours at the NuLu store will be 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
