A former hair salon tucked inside a house. A bakery run by a registered nurse. A soda shop, an ice cream parlor, and a Punjabi street food café about to open its doors.
Welcome to Wanamaker — and no, you probably haven’t been there yet.
Tucked along a roughly 2-mile stretch of Southeastern Avenue on Indianapolis’ southeast side, the small community of Wanamaker is quietly transforming into one of the city’s most surprising and exciting food scenes. Over the past six months alone, a handful of new restaurants and shops have opened, drawing curious visitors from across the city.
The Restaurant Born in a Hair Salon
Roxanna Williams has spent decades in the food industry — managing large restaurants with over 200 seats. But when it came time to open her own place, she wanted something completely different.
“I wanted it to be like eating at grandma’s house,” Williams said.
So she and her family renovated a former hair salon inside a house and turned it into Baan Thai Bistro. The walls are decorated with family heirlooms, including a large wooden sculpture from her childhood home in Thailand. Her four sons work alongside her. And the recipes? Most come straight from her mother, with roots in the northeast and southern provinces of Thailand.
It’s the kind of place you don’t forget — and exactly the kind of place Wanamaker is becoming known for.
A Neighborhood on the Rise
Alongside Baan Thai Bistro, several other newcomers have recently set up shop in the community. Fizz’n, a soda shop, has added a fun, bubbly option for families. Bread by Jen — a bakery operated by a registered nurse — is drawing lines for its fresh-baked goods. The 3 Princesses Ice Cream is serving up scoops and snacks. And the owners of Sahara Bazaar, a local Indian grocery store that has served the area for three years, are expected to open Gup Shup Punjabi Cafe and Street Food by the end of May. Hoosier Brewing Company is also working to open a south side location in the area.
For longtime anchor New Bethel Ordinary — a beloved family-owned pizza pub — the transformation is impossible to ignore.
“From when I first started into now, it’s completely different,” said Jaida Austin, the restaurant’s manager and a lifelong Wanamaker resident. “How much busier we are, how many people we see in a short amount of time. It’s absolutely insane.”
A Community That Was Nearly Forgotten
Wanamaker’s story goes back nearly 200 years. Founded around 1834, it was originally called New Bethel after a nearby church. The name was later changed to honor John Wanamaker, President Benjamin Harrison’s postmaster general. By 1970, the town had grown to around 4,500 residents — but that same year, Indianapolis absorbed surrounding communities through a city-county merger known as Unigov, and many locals feel the neighborhood was left behind after that, with aging buildings and little investment.
Today, at least 29,000 people call the area home, according to 2020 Census data. And a new chapter appears to be underway.
The Russell E. Flagle Charitable Trust — named after a former Wanamaker property owner who passed away in 2021 — is now working with the city on a new community center and a refurbished alley designed to connect it to local businesses along Southeastern Avenue.
“We Could Be the New Zionsville”
Williams, who grew up in the area, doesn’t mince words about what she believes Wanamaker can become.
“We could be the new Zionsville,” she said. “We could literally transform it and create a real community within Franklin Township.”
Zionsville, of course, is known as one of the Indianapolis metro area’s most charming and desirable small-town destinations — packed with boutique shops, acclaimed restaurants, and a strong community identity.
For a neighborhood that many Indianapolis residents have never even heard of, that’s a bold vision. But walk down Southeastern Avenue today, breathe in the smells coming from a dozen new kitchens, and it starts to feel a lot less far-fetched.
Have you visited Wanamaker’s food scene yet? Drop a comment and let us know your favorite spot.
