Mayor, City-County Council, Visit Indy Announce Recipients of ‘Visiting All Neighborhoods' Program
INDIANAPOLIS – Mayor Joe Hogsett and Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas joined the Indianapolis City-County Council and Visit Indy to officially announce the 50 local businesses across Marion County selected for the inaugural class of the Visiting All Neighborhoods program.
"As a consolidated city, Indy covers a lot of ground, especially for out-of-towners,” Mayor Hogsett said. “But Visiting All Neighborhoods makes it easier to find points of interest throughout city limits. Whether it’s Burmese cuisine, local pottery, a recording studio, an independent bookstore, or one of America’s last drive-in movie theaters – it's all over the map, and it’s all Indianapolis.”
As part of Visiting All Neighborhoods, the 50 businesses will be integrated into Visit Indy’s partnership program, which includes strategic marketing support to entice visitors through their doors. The program is backed by $100,000 in funding from Visit Indy, as part of an effort to drive visitors into all neighborhoods across the city.
“We are proud to partner with the City of Indianapolis and the City-County Council on this new program that has helped us uncover additional businesses for visitors to experience,” said Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. “We know this program will elevate the visibility of visitor-facing businesses by granting a complimentary two-year Visit Indy partnership.”
The application period spanned October through December 2022, powered by a robust outreach plan designed to attract businesses from all 25 City-County Council districts. A diverse roster of 14 community leaders then reviewed more than 80 applications, scoring them based on their geographic location, interaction with visitors, engagement with the community and whether the business was a minority, woman, veteran or disable-owned enterprise (XBE). Ninety-eight percent of selected businesses are XBE.
"Visiting All Neighborhoods is a collaborative and innovative partnership to support local businesses and help spread the economic benefit of tourism across all neighborhoods in Marion County," said City-County Councillor Keith Potts. "That is why my colleagues and I are proud to support this partnership and uplift local entrepreneurs that help tell our city's story."
A complete list of businesses can be found below:
AJ's Bar & Grill
Amore Italian Kitchen
B. Erin Designs
Barbecue and Bourbon
Bash By Baron
Beyond Barcodes Bookstore
Botanical Bar
Brozinni Pizzeria - Speedway
Buck Creek Winery
Cafe Audrey
CBD Jubilee
Chilly Water Brewing
Chin Brothers Restaurant
CityDump Records LLC
Cork & Cracker
Davis Jean & Fashion
Dutchess By Design LLC
Eckstein Shoe Store and Repair
Fort Ben Pub
Foundations Studio
Fundae's Ice Cream & Sweets
Goodfellas Pizzeria
Gravesco Pottery
Hampton Designs Studio & Shop
Hindel Bowling Lanes
His Place Eatery
International Marketplace Coalition
Kicasso Sneaker Art Bar
Kismetic Beer Company
Lark & Lily Boutique
Leaf & Limb + a tiny spa
NV Artistry Studios & Academy
P30 – Indy
Pana Donuts
Paradigm Games
Reeds Flower Shop
Restore Skin Therapy
SHE Event Indy
Stomping Ground
Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis
The Flatiron @ The Point on Penn
The Murphy Arts Center
The Propylaeum
The Silver Linings Coffeehouse
The Studio Alchemy Art Gallery
Tibbs Drive In Theatre
Triton Brewing Company
Tuggle's Gifts & Goods
Union Jack Pub
Zodiac Vintage
Businesses across Marion County are encouraged to apply for the next round of Visiting All Neighborhoods when applications reopen in August of 2023.