Nickel Plate Bar & Grill, 8654 E. 116th St., is closingApril 20.
LUX Restaurants, which owns Nickel Plate Bar & Grill, is selling the restaurant to Browning Investments, which is developing a $157 million mixed-use development that includes retail, residential, an office building and a hotel on both sides of 116th Street in downtown Fishers.
The Nickel Plate Bar & Grill announced the news April 1 on its Facebook page, but it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
The restaurant commended its staff during its 28 years of operation and expressed appreciation for Nickel Plate Bar & Grill patrons.
“We have enjoyed serving our guests over the years,” the Facebook page post stated. “We truly appreciate all of you and the great memories. We hope to see as many of you as possible before the 20th! It has been a pleasure being a part of Fishers, watching it grow and prosper. We have enjoyed the ride.”
Nickel Plate Bar & Grill is in a building that dates to the 1800s. The building has operated as a bar since 1889, when the Hamilton County Ledger reported James H. Underwood applied for a liquor license.
The Nickel Plate Bar & Grill is well known for its tenderloin sandwiches.
The city issued the following statement with regard to the closing:
“LUX Restaurants is selling the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill (building and name) to Browning and as a result of this transition, the restaurant will close during construction. The Nickel Plate Bar & Grill is a Fishers tradition and the intent has always been that the restaurant building remain as one of the cornerstones of the development with funding dedicated to its rehabilitation no matter the owner of the building. The City of Fishers and Browning will work together to ensure the building is not only preserved but is home to another restaurant for our community, continuing the storied tradition of this iconic and historical building.”
