Shula’s steakhouse in downtown Westin hotel to close

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A steakhouse in a downtown hotel is closing after more than two decades.

Employees of Shula’s Steak House confirmed the restaurant will close at the end of February. The restaurant is in The Westin Indianapolis, 241 W. Washington St.

Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, who has 347 NFL career wins, founded the restaurant chain. The first Shula’s opened in 1989. The menu included steaks and seafood, and each steakhouse has private dining spaces. 

Sherry Seiwert is the president of Downtown Indy Inc., a nonprofit that address issues of growth and well-being of downtown. She said that this month’s announcements of the closings of Shula’s and Hard Rock Cafe are “not an indicator of how downtown dining is fairing.

“This is market fluctuation. We have nearly doubled the amount of people living downtown in the past eight years. But, like most cities, some restaurants do struggle,” Seiwert said. 

The Hard Rock Cafe, 49 S Meridian St., is set to close March 18. It’s known for its rock ‘n’ roll decor and burgers. 

The Downtown Indy leader said she didn’t want to “fan the flames” that downtown dining was struggling. She said the closings are just how things go. With increased foot traffic downtown, she was not worried about the future of restaurants downtown.