A new spot to gather for food, drinks opens in Fall Creek Place
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A new restaurant opened today, Oct. 17, 2023, in the Fall Creek Place neighborhood of Indianapolis at 22nd and Pennsylvania Streets. The concept for Gather 22, from the founders of Byrne’s Grilled Pizza, was born from a love for cherished locales and a passion for the local community.
Over the past 12 years, the founders have been overwhelmed by the support and kindness of Indianapolis. From their modest beginnings at Flat 12 Brewery (now Natural State Provisions) to overcoming adversity when their food truck was stolen, and the eight years spent at their brick-and-mortar restaurant on 56th and Illinois, it’s been the support of the community that has made their journey possible.
Creating a space as large as Gather 22 comes with substantial costs, and they launched a successful Kickstarter campaign last year exceeding a $20,000 goal by $8,148 from 96 backers.
This sister restaurant aims to create a premier space for the local community, a place that can adapt to a variety of dining experiences.
“Pizza will be available all day. Coffee will also be available all day. But we wanted to have the space function a little bit more like a coffee shop during the day where you could just come in and have a seat wherever you’d like.” said Gather 22 Owner and Hospitality Director Pablo Gonzalez. “We’ve equipped the whole space with a ton of outlets anticipating people want to work from a coffee shop. But then there is a transition into a more elevated style of service and dining at five.”
While patrons can savor the favorites found at Byrne’s Grilled Pizza, they’ll also have the chance to explore a new array of offerings inspired by the founders’ travels, all while focusing on showcasing local produce and products.
“Our Night and Day Rice [Forbidden Rice, Jasmine Rice, Spicy Mayo, Sticky Sauce, and Pickled Ginger] was super successful. When people think of rice, they think of a side dish, but we really made it a shining menu item,” Gonzalez said. “Our Scallop Sliders [Sweet Roll, Asian Pear Chutney, Chili Aioli and Hawaiian Slaw] had a lot of people excited and impressed when they saw the size, they’re pretty big sliders.”
A cocktail bar, featuring local draft beer, drinks containing specialty ingredients such as passion fruit liqueur, and natural wines overlooks a spacious garden patio, destined to host a multitude of events, from a summer movie series to market days and live entertainment.
Not only does Gather 22 boast an artful presentation of its food but the interior is just as inspired with custom murals, bar seats, and woodwork.
“It’s been really exciting collaborating with people in Indy, especially as someone from Los Angeles where I feel like it’s assumed we have this privilege of having a lot of artisans available to us. And I think it’s been a beautiful experience to realize that just as many artisans are available to us here in the Midwest,” Gonzalez said. “Everything from our muralist, Bootleg Signs & Murals, to this designer of our ball-and-stick woodwork we discovered at the Penrod Arts Fair, to the contractor who designed and built all of our booths and helped us design our dream bar. There’s a lot of industry in the Midwest; a lot of artistic talent.”
(WISH Photos/Dylan Hodges)