Kountry Kitchen breaks ground on new location

INDIANAPOLIS — An iconic Indianapolis restaurant broke ground on its new location on Tuesday, more than two years after a fire damaged its original location in 2020.

“It’s been pretty tough, but with the support of the community we were able to make it through,” Owner Cynthia Wilson said.

In January of 2020 Kountry Kitchen was forced to close its doors — but they have been able to continue with catering and carryout from inside the Ruckus Building at Massachusetts Avenue.

“It’s overwhelming, we know that number one we thank god. But as I said, we thank the community wholeheartedly for their support,” Wilson added.

The restaurant's new location will be near East 19th Street and North College Avenue and construction is expected to last about eight months.

The new restaurant will be two stories and will allow for both a restaurant and a space for special events. Once construction is complete, Kountry Kitchen is expected to be able to accommodate nearly 300 people inside. The rooftop outdoor space will accommodate 120-150 additional guests.

“Since the fire we don’t see a lot of the customers we really have a relationship with — like, they are family,” Tia Myles said.

Myles has been working at Kountry Kitchen since 1994. She says Tuesday's groundbreaking was the start of getting back to that family atmosphere that Kountry Kitchen’s regulars have come to love.

“It means planting roots where it all started,” Myles added.

Comedian Mike Epps says he is one of the original customers of the Kountry Kitchen. Epps says he is excited about the return of his favorite dish.

“They had a choice where you could get the regular corn muffins or hot water cornbread – I would go with the hot water cornbread,” Epps said.

More information on the new location's progress is available on the Kountry Kitchen Facebook page.