Indiana is acclaimed for its agriculture, but many acres away from its farms, the state’s two largest cities are recognized for their Hoosier hospitality.
From historic steakhouses to Latin and Thai cuisine, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne boast diverse dining options that look past stereotypical Midwestern foods to offer groups a wide-ranging menu of options.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis boasts the highest number of hotel rooms in the country that are directly connected to a convention center all “under one roof.” When taking the one-stop-shop approach and staying at hotels that are connected to the convention center, the best way to explore the city could be through Indy’s food scene.
At the end of the day, step out of the convention center and its adjacent connectors and explore Indianapolis on foot. Maybe it will lead you to one of these four Indianapolis restaurants that offer group dining experiences.
BODHI
Go big or go home at Indianapolis’ BODHI. The authentic Thai restaurant exclusively offers full restaurant buyouts with food and beverage minimums to groups looking to host private functions. BODHI can welcome 46 guests for a seated dinner, 60 roaming in a cocktail/reception style setup and, on “beautiful days,” courtyard access that makes the space suitable for 70 guests.
A little off the beaten path from the Indiana Convention Center, BODHI is located on an iconic Indianapolis street, Massachusetts Avenue, which is better known to the locals as “Mass Ave.”
Located in Indianapolis’ Arts and Theater District, the mile-long street is known for its art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and bars. Mass Ave is home to one of my favorite gifts and apparel boutiques in Indianapolis, Francis + Fern, the perfect place for business travelers to visit if they are looking for a unique souvenir to take back home for a friend or family member.
“People do go out of their way to come to BODHI when they're in town,” said Merriam Al-Jundub, general manager at BODHI. “It's exciting seeing people actually take the time to come in and add themselves to the waitlist even though they're only in town for a couple nights.”
When guests buy out BODHI, they purchase more than a jungle-vibe space with overgrown wisteria; they also buy an experience, taking a family-style journey through BODHI’s entire menu. They'll start with appetizers and move on to soups and salads. Then there’s the passing of curries, noodles and Wok stir-fry dishes.
Al-Jundub said this family-style meal is “the way to celebrate together [and] enjoy this cuisine.”
And even before the multiple-course meal is served, BODHI offers guests a specialty themed cocktail.
“You get to enjoy hearing great music and fantastic craft cocktails while getting to enjoy the authentic Thai cuisine,” she said.
Commission Row
There was glitter on the Commission Row floor for days following Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour last November. Ian Saroyan, executive general manager at Commission Row, recalls his bartenders making more than 700 espresso martinis in the three days Swift was in-residence at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.
“It was like hosting two Super Bowls,” Saroyan said. “It really was incredible.”
Commission Row is owned by Pacers Sports and Entertainment and overlooks Morris Bicentennial Plaza, outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In addition to serving attendees of The Eras Tour, Commission Row also serves attendees of the WNBA and NBA All-Star Game as well as the Olympic swimming trials.
Between concerts, sporting events and conventions, Saroyan said Indianapolis “really lends itself to not just being a sports town but a convention-goer paradise.”
The steak, seafood and raw bar restaurant also serves as a multilevel dining and entertainment venue.
Commission Row can host multiple groups throughout the building in its two semi-private dining spaces within the main dining room, 200-person event center on the second floor and the 120-person speakeasy located on the venue’s lower level.
The three different dining concepts each have their own kitchen that offers different, customizable menus.
“We can customize anything for different groups or meeting planners with different budgets based off their needs,” Saroyan said.
Commission Row hosts a variety of groups, including social, weddings and business, usually for local law offices and accounting groups. Guests are typically complimentary of the venue’s Hoosier hospitality, fine dining and downtown location.
“We do unique corporate or business gatherings in an amazing setting,” Saroyan said.
Harry & Izzy’s/St. Elmo Steakhouse
St. Elmo Steak House and an expansion of St. Elmo, Harry and Izzy’s, are neighboring restaurants in downtown Indianapolis located a block away from the Indiana Convention Center.
“Some of these groups and meetings that return to Indianapolis year after year, they’re returning to St. Elmo and Harry and Izzy’s year after year for their private dining, meetings [and] receptions,” said Stephanie Ebarb, director of marketing at Huse Culinary, the upscale restaurant and retail group that owns and operates St. Elmo and Harry and Izzy’s.
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St. Elmo has served Indianapolis in the same historic spot since 1902. Kirsten DeBoor, event manager at St. Elmo, said the historic venue can host private dinners, luncheons, weddings and business events for parties from 12 to 400.
“Everyone that has heard of St. Elmo’s has either heard we’re the best or believes we’re the best,” DeBoor said, quoting one of the restaurant’s former general managers.
Luncheons hosted during the day, prior to the restaurant’s usual 4 p.m. opening (on Saturday’s, St. Elmo opens at 3 p.m.), allow groups the possibility to arrange a meal in the 400-seat restaurant. Combining St. Elmo’s three private rooms and its lower level is another option for large groups, creating the second-largest space available for 104 looking to experience a taste of Indianapolis history. The two smallest rooms—Huse Room and The Office—are private and intimate dining options for 12 guests.
From the second floor of St. Elmo, guests can access 1933 Lounge for a semi-private or private reception space.
DeBoor prides herself on the personal experiences she brings to each event.
“I like to add verbiage or photos to the menus so [guests] can have a keepsake,” she said.
St. Elmo’s is known as the meat and potatoes restaurant, where the only appetizer is a fan-favorite that’s highly recommended by DeBoor: the St. Elmo shrimp cocktail.
Harry and Izzy’s, on the other hand, is acclaimed for its variety of menu items. Lindsey Word, event manager at Harry and Izzy’s, spoke highly of the salmon and the ahi tuna pasta, which is a new menu item.
Word said the restaurant doesn’t offer full buyouts because it is important they are open to the public during business hours, especially when conventions are going on.
The restaurant does have four completely private rooms and three semi-private spaces for groups of 10-106. Word has hosted luncheons, receptions and other social events at Harry and Izzy’s in the past.
Fort Wayne
In “friendly Fort Wayne,” as the DMO’s tagline goes, it is easy to navigate from the Grand Wayne Convention Center to over 50 locally owned and operated restaurants nearby.
So, while “friendly” is an apt description of the city, the term “foodie” also fits.
Here’s a taste of the group dining experiences convention-goers can explore throughout the foodie city of Fort Wayne.
Club Soda
If you like jazz, groups visiting Fort Wayne can catch local, live music at Club Soda, which Nicolle Campbell, director of sales at Visit Fort Wayne, said is described on the Club Soda website as “Fort Wayne's premier downtown fine-dining experience.”
The restaurant and music venue offer upstairs space with a private bar for 60-80. In the summer, guests can use the attached outdoor space. Club Soda also offers full restaurant buyouts for 150-200.
And if you’re looking for a Fort Wayne foodie fan-favorite on the menu, Campbell suggests the smoked gouda dip.
Copper Spoon
Located right next door to the Grand Wayne Convention Center, the Copper Spoon restaurant and bar is known for its extensive cocktail menu.
“It’s a novel,” recalled Bethany Sutherland, group services manager at Visit Fort Wayne, as she tried to pinpoint the exact number of pages in the menu. (She settled on 50.)
Copper Spoon has a rustic wine cellar aesthetic that provides a great place to meet and debrief after a long convention day. The restaurant is acclaimed for its award-winning bartenders.
The restaurant offers private and semi-private options for dinners and event bookings. Choose from the bar, private room, upper deck dining, outdoor space or an entire restaurant buyout.
“It’s a great place to spark different conversations,” Campbell said. “You learn a lot about people as they look through their cocktail menu.”
Proximo
Proximo offers Latin cuisine in downtown Fort Wayne, from Peruvian ceviche to Ecuadorian chicken, or Sutherland’s favorite, breakfast tacos served from the restaurant’s all-day breakfast menu.
The restaurant’s enclosed private dining space is fit for 42 guests.
More From Foodie Ft. Wayne
Visit Fort Wayne’s Campbell and Sutherland also recommended Duckpin Bowling at Ducky’s, where upscale bar food is delivered right to your lane. Ducky's is a new restaurant that debuted in Fort Wayne earlier this year.
At The Hoppy Gnome, groups can brew their own beer onsite and private dining is available for groups of 25 to 75. JK O’Donnell’s, another popular option for groups, is an Irish Ale House with dark wood that Campbell said transports her to Ireland. The restaurant even transformed its alley into a turf soccer field with an outdoor bar and food service.
[Related: 6 Group-Friendly Restaurants to Try in Chicago’s Suburbs]
Another perk for foodies meeting in Fort Wayne is that a majority of its restaurants are scratch kitchens, meaning they are easily able to accommodate dietary restrictions.
Retention Runs Fort Wayne
At Grand Wayne Convention Center, retention is key. Annually, 80% of groups that book with Grand Wayne rebook future events at the convention center, according to the facility. One group in particular has booked its convention at Grand Wayne every year for the past 25 years.
Marcy McKinley, director of sales and marketing at Grand Wayne Convention Center, believes this speaks volumes to the team's loyalty.
“You get to know someone very well and it really helps you dive in and get to any issues faster,” McKinley said. “You get a workflow down that works well.”
McKinley labeled herself as the “newbie” on the management team for a company she has worked for going on 19 years. She said the event team is seasoned and loves what they do. This passion and professionalism create ease in convention planning, which translates to that impressive 80% retention rate.
“We focus on providing a more personalized and less-overwhelming experience for planners and attendees, so it's that genuine one-on-one customer service,” McKinley said.
