Thompson Thrift announced this week that Cunningham Restaurant Group and Flower Child have signed leases at The Union at Fishers District, adding two more dining options to the growing mixed-use development.

According to the developer, the new leases further strengthen The Union’s position as a dining, retail and lifestyle destination within the Fishers District.

Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG), an Indianapolis-based hospitality company with a portfolio that includes Rize, BRU Burger Bar, Provision, Livery and Vida, has leased a two-story building at the site. Plans call for approximately 5,700 square feet of fine dining on the second floor and a 2,400-square-foot bar on the ground level offering small plates. The concept is still being finalized and is expected to be unique to the Fishers market and to CRG’s portfolio. The restaurant will become the newest addition to CRG’s more than 20 concepts operating in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Flower Child will open its second Indianapolis-area location at The Union after securing a 3,500-square-foot freestanding building. The restaurant is known for its customizable menu featuring bowls, wraps, salads, vegetables, grains, fruits and proteins designed to accommodate a variety of dietary preferences. The Fishers location will add to Flower Child’s expanding national footprint.

Thompson Thrift said it has also recently signed leases with Dot Sugar, a specialty desserts and beverages shop, and The Oakmont, a restaurant and bar. Previously announced tenants at The Union include Piedra, Kitchen Social, Niku Sushi, Everbowl, Racha Thai, Renova Aesthetics, Sweathouz, Unplug Soy Candles and a jewelry store.

Several spaces remain available within the development, including two retail or restaurant spaces scheduled for third-quarter delivery, approximately 1,300 square feet at the base of the new Cunningham Restaurant Group building, about 4,800 divisible square feet at the base of the 250-unit Union Flats apartment community, and roughly 70,000 square feet of Class A office space.

The Union is located near Interstate 69 and 116th Street and is one of five developments within the master-planned Fishers District. The project includes retail and restaurant space, Class A office space, a 135-room AC Hotels by Marriott, a luxury multifamily community and structured parking.

Thompson Thrift began work on the Fishers District in 2015. When completed, the $750 million, 123-acre development will feature multifamily housing, townhomes, hotels, office space, dining, shopping and entertainment connected by pedestrian-friendly walkways.

Chef Kelsey Murphy is moving quickly to launch her new restaurant concept in the former Fishers Test Kitchen space at Fishers District.

In a video posted to Facebook, Murphy announced plans to begin serving meals at the location on January 2. The space, which previously housed the Fishers Test Kitchen, featured three kitchen pods with rotating chefs and menus. Murphy said she plans to start with a limited menu while beginning what she described as a “clumsy transition,” with construction taking place as the space is gradually converted into a single restaurant operation.

The new restaurant will be called Clutch Kitchen and will be located inside the Sun King Brewery space at Fishers District, the restaurant and entertainment area near IKEA.

Murphy said the initial menu will be intentionally limited, featuring smash burgers, a Cuban sandwich, wings, and a “massive” nacho platter designed for sharing. Additional menu items will be added gradually as renovations progress.

“Once we are through renovations, the menu is going to be amazing,” Murphy said in the video.

Murphy, a Fishers resident, gained national recognition after winning MasterChef: Legends in 2021. The Fishers Redevelopment Commission recently approved a new lease for the space, following the city’s decision to terminate the Test Kitchen lease and move in a new operator.

Construction at the site is expected to continue for several months, though Murphy emphasized her desire to begin serving customers as soon as possible while the transformation is underway.

With the holidays now in the rearview mirror, many Fishers residents are returning to their regular routines. For those who took time off for Christmas and New Year’s, Monday, Jan. 5 marks a return to work. It is also the day classes resume for students and teaching staff in the Hamilton Southeastern School District.

The holiday season offered a welcome opportunity to slow down and reconnect. Many in the community spent time with friends and family, a tradition that remains one of the most meaningful parts of the year.

While 2025 was a quieter year on the election front, it was far from quiet for local news. Indiana typically sees no elections in the year following a presidential contest, and 2025 followed that pattern. Even so, interest in local coverage remained strong.

LarryInFishers.com recorded more than 100,000 unique visitors over the course of the year, a tally that underscores the community’s ongoing appetite for local news and information.

That relative calm will not continue into 2026.

Several important races are on the ballot this year, including four of the seven seats on the Hamilton Southeastern School Board. All school board candidates will run within their respective district boundaries. In addition, voters will decide races for countywide and local offices, including sheriff, county council and township positions.

The primary election is scheduled for May 5, with the general election set for Nov. 3.

The 2026 school board election will also look different from past years. Following action by the Indiana General Assembly in 2025, school board candidates may now identify with a political party or choose to run with no party affiliation. Previously, school board races were strictly nonpartisan. Despite the change, there will be no school board primary; all candidates will appear on the general election ballot.

With schools back in session, work routines resuming and a significant election year ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy one for Fishers. The hope, as always, is that it will also be a good year for the community.

The Indy Fuel capped a three-game weekend with a dramatic road win Sunday night, rallying from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Kalamazoo Wings in a 12-round shootout.

Kalamazoo struck first late in the opening period. After Indy’s Lee Lapid was called for high-sticking at 17:56, Wings forward Zach Okabe scored on the ensuing power play at 18:40 to give the hosts a 1–0 lead. The Fuel penalty kill had been sharp early, killing off the game’s first penalty without allowing a shot, but Kalamazoo capitalized on its third opportunity of the period.

The Wings doubled their lead midway through the second when former Fuel forward Colin Bilek broke in alone and scored on a breakaway at 8:06. Indy answered less than four minutes later, as Matt Petgrave found the net at 12:01 with assists from Cody Laskosky and Jadon Joseph, cutting the deficit to 2–1.

Despite multiple power-play chances for both teams, neither side converted again in the second. Indy carried the play, outshooting Kalamazoo 24–17 through 40 minutes.

The third period opened with a physical sequence as Hunter Strand was assessed an illegal check to the head, followed by fighting majors to Bilek and Fuel defenseman Dustin Manz. Indy continued to push and was rewarded at the 13-minute mark when Terry Broadhurst tied the game 2–2, assisted by Eric Martin and Will Ennis.

The Fuel controlled much of the remainder of regulation, finishing with a 39–24 advantage in shots on goal, but the game remained tied through the final horn.

Overtime featured chances at both ends. Indy was forced to kill off a tripping penalty to Broadhurst late in the extra session, and the Fuel penalty kill sent the game to a shootout.

After both teams scored in the opening round, the shootout extended deep into the bench. In the 12th round, Nick Grima scored the decisive goal to secure the Fuel victory and complete the weekend finale on a high note.

The Fuel notched their 14th win of the season Sunday, putting Indy in a tie for third place with the Bloomington Bison.  The team hits the road again, this time to South Dakota, for an upcoming Friday, Saturday and Sunday series with the Rapid City Rush

It was a Friday–Saturday night sweep for the Indy Fuel, capped by a 4–2 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday night at Fishers Event Center. The Fuel opened the weekend with a home win Friday against Bloomington before closing it out against another Central Division rival.

If the crowd wasn’t a sellout, it was close, and the fans were fully engaged throughout the contest.

Kalamazoo controlled the puck early in the first period, but it was Indy that struck first. Lee Lapid opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game, giving the Fuel a 1–0 lead. Jaden Joseph added to the advantage five minutes later, and Indy carried a 2–0 lead into the first intermission.

No penalties were called in the opening period, but the officials assessed three during the second. Kalamazoo’s Ryan Cox scored a shorthanded goal to pull the Wings within one, making it 2–1 Fuel at the end of two periods.

Indy regained control in the third period when Jordan Martin scored about fifteen minutes in to extend the lead to 3–1. Kalamazoo pulled its goaltender with less than three minutes remaining, setting up an empty-net goal by Jesse Tucker. The Wings added a last-second goal, but it was not enough, as the Fuel skated away with a 4–2 win.

The victory marked the Fuel’s 13th win of the season. Indy remains in fifth place in the Central Division but continues to close the gap on fourth-place Cincinnati.

The Fuel now begin a six-game road trip. They return home to Fishers Event Center on Saturday, January 17, when they will once again face the Kalamazoo Wings. Indy is back in action on Sunday with a road game in Kalamazoo.

The list is far shorter this time of year, but here is the first weekly update on road construction in and around Fishers for 2026.

Below is the full listing, as provided by the city of Fishers:

Continue reading First Fishers-area road construction update for 2026 →

The Indy Fuel opened the new year with a convincing shutout victory, blanking the Bloomington Bison 5-0 in their first home game of 2026.

Despite being outshot 26-25, the Fuel built an early lead and never looked back, scoring three times in the first period and adding two more in the third to secure the win.

Indy struck first at 4:35 of the opening period when Mike Van Unen scored his first professional goal, finishing a play set up by Tyler Paquette and Owen Robinson. The Fuel doubled the lead on their first power play of the night, as Sahil Panwar scored 21 seconds into the advantage at 12:49, with Lee Lapid and Matt Petgrave earning assists.

The Fuel continued to capitalize on special teams later in the period. After another Bloomington penalty, Petgrave scored a power-play goal at 16:57, assisted by Jordan Martin and Lapid, to give Indy a 3-0 lead. The opening period also featured a brief altercation between Indy’s Mikael Robidoux and Bloomington’s Michael Marchesan, with both players receiving roughing minors.

Neither team scored in the second period, though both sides had power-play opportunities that were successfully killed. Indy carried its three-goal lead into the third period while holding a narrow edge in shots.

Petgrave added his second goal of the game at 12:43 of the third period, finishing a play from Cody Laskosky and Jadon Joseph to make it 4-0. The Fuel closed out the scoring later in the period and preserved the shutout despite several late penalties and misconducts as tensions rose.

Fuel goaltender Owen Flores turned aside all 26 shots he faced to earn the shutout, helping Indy secure a strong start to the 2026 calendar year on home ice.

The Fuel have now climbed to an over .500 record with 12 wins, 11 losses, 3 overtime losses and one shootout loss, for 28 points and fifth place in the Central Division.  The Fuel are back in action Saturday night, once again at the Fishers Event Center, facing the Kalamazoo Wings.

The Fishers Test Kitchen, launched in February 2020 as an incubator space for aspiring chefs, will soon give way to a new restaurant concept led by a familiar local name.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Fishers Redevelopment Commission voted to terminate the Test Kitchen’s lease in the Fishers District, which had been scheduled to run through November 2026. Economic Development Director Megan Baumgartner told commission members the Test Kitchen initiative has been “a learning experience for all of us.”

Baumgartner said discussions with the current Test Kitchen operator ultimately led city officials to conclude the concept was “not able to realize that full potential of what we had hoped for.” As a result, the city decided to part ways with the operator. The commission approved a recommended $10,000 settlement to release the current tenant from remaining lease obligations.

The space will next be occupied by Kelsey Murphy, a Fishers resident who gained national recognition after winning MasterChef: Legends (Season 11) in 2021. Baumgartner said Murphy is enthusiastic about moving into the location. Additional details about Murphy’s plans for the space are expected to be released within the next two weeks.

Commission members approved a three-year lease for the new restaurant, beginning January 1, 2026. The operation is expected to be called Clutch Kitchen. Construction is anticipated to take more than six months, though a firm opening timeline has not yet been established.

The Fishers Test Kitchen opened in early 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning, limiting its initial operations to carry-out service only. The concept originated from discussions between local food writer Jolene Ketzenberger and Launch Fishers founder John Wechsler, who envisioned a shared kitchen model to help emerging chefs test restaurant ideas.

Baumgartner noted the Test Kitchen went through multiple iterations during its operation but never fully achieved its original vision.