The Local Fort Wayne

11/21/2024

About two-thirds of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community. But beyond sales, small businesses contribute to Fort Wayne’s growth in other significant, yet perhaps harder to quantify ways – expanding horizons, shaping character and supporting creative culture.

Just ask Taber Olinger, one of the first boutique retailers to take a chance on Downtown’s revival. In 2015, she opened her first shop, Fancy & Staple , a modern-day general store that sells unique home goods, books, candles, jewelry, children’s toys and more.

“I felt this city had so much potential,” Olinger says.
Over the years at Fancy, she’s hosted community concerts and events, and provided wall space for artists to display work as well as sidewalk space for a mutual aid food pantry. In 2020, the concept for her second shop, Hopscotch House , was born in response to her customers’ desire for her to expand her children’s section.

Just as small businesses might be more agile and inclined to meet community needs, they’re also counting on the community to support them, particularly amidst the pinch of post-pandemic inflation.

“People don’t realize how important it is to shop small and support small businesses, like mine,” Olinger says. “Every single sale makes a difference. Every ‘like’ on social media helps, and every share is so important.”

To encourage you to spend your dollars local this holiday season, we’re teaming up with Hopscotch House to bring all paid subscribers to The Local a special $5 off any purchase in November. Learn how to sign up and claim your free offer (and learn more about Olinger’s shops) on our website.

11/19/2024

Hey Locals, ‘Tis the season for Night of Lights, holiday merriment and... annual performance reviews. Last week, Electric Works celebrated two-years of opening to the public (in November 2022) by publishing a report on its accomplishments thus far. But things aren’t quite adding up, according to our calculations. We cover what to know in Talk of the Week.

We also have updates on Parkview Health and the Urban Trail. And we share a few of our favorite holiday to-do list items you won’t want to miss!

Don’t forget: We’re kicking off your holiday shopping season right with a new deal at Fort Wayne’s local toyshop, Hopscotch House! All paid subscribers get $5 off any purchase in November. Did you know we give our paid members a freebie every month at a local business to cover the cost of membership? See what a paid membership is all about with a 30-day trial, and you can get that discount! Details in the newsletter.

11/12/2024

Hey Locals, It’s been an exhausting week. We’re in the process of moving (within Fort Wayne), so we have an abbreviated issue this week to give ourselves a much-needed mental health break. That said, we do have a question for you, as well as a feature on screenings of the film, Wicked, benefitting a good cause. We also have deets on what promises to be a popular new holiday tradition at Parkview Field.
Don’t forget: We’re kicking off your holiday shopping right with a deal at Fort Wayne’s local toyshop, , in November. All paid subscribers get $5 off any purchase. Learn how to claim your free offer in the newsletter!

11/05/2024

Hey Locals, It’s a heated election week, but we might have found the one topic Democrats and Republicans can actually agree on: It’s time to curb consolidation in the healthcare industry. (Take that topic to the Thanksgiving table.)

We follow up on recent reports by The Guardian about Parkview Health with insights from a Yale economist on how Indiana can respond. We also have the inside scoop on what’s happening with Electric Works and details on three fall foodie events you won’t want to miss in November.

Plus: We’re kicking off your holiday shopping season right with a new deal at Fort Wayne’s local toyshop, ! All paid subscribers get $5 off any purchase in November. Did you know we give our paid members a freebie every month at a local business to cover the cost of membership? See what a paid membership is all about with a 30-day trial, and you can get that discount!

10/31/2024

Have you been to Sunrise Mart () yet? The new local grocery store at 3105 N. Anthony Blvd. is owned by 23-year-old Raja Singh and his two younger brothers, Hardeep and Rajbeer Singh. Their family owns five convenience stores in Fort Wayne, including another by the name of Sunrise Mart, but Raja says the new location on Anthony is their first venture into groceries.

Raja hopes Sunrise Mart becomes a cultural hub in the ‘05. His family chose the location specifically for its “tight-knit community.” While you’re there, be sure to check out local products, like Kuehnert Dairy Farm () milk, cheese and ice cream!

Sunrise Mart also offers two pastry cases of fresh Indian sweets. “This is the only place you can find them in Fort Wayne,” Raja says. The market also contains two restaurants with their first brick-and-mortar shops: Antojitos Mexicanos and Uramaki Sushi.

Fellow young entrepreneur, Jesus Vazquez, started Antojitos Mexicanos (._mexicanos) as a food truck outside one of the Singhs’ gas stations (Bridgewater Gasway), offering dishes from his family’s native Oaxaca, Mexico, like Tlayudas (a toasted tortilla covered in beans, cabbage and a dense, thinly cut steak).

At Uramaki Sushi (.uramaki.sushi ), May Khant and her family used to own a sushi franchise inside Sam’s Club, but recently ventured out on their own when Sunrise Mart opened. Try their popular Taro Boba drink and California Crunchy Roll!

10/29/2024

Hey Locals, It’s a week of follow-ups in Fort Wayne. We have updates on City Council’s decisions regarding funding for Citilink and the Urban Trail. We also dish on a second story about Parkview Health’s monopoly in The Guardian, this time featuring responses from residents, employers and political leaders across the state.

In Small Talk, we share what to know about the City’s 2025 budget cuts and what restaurants are opening, closing and changing ownership around town.

Don’t forget: This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at Swizzle Market, or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. Learn how to claim your free offer in the newsletter.

10/22/2024

Hey Locals, It’s been an unsettling week in Fort Wayne, and not just because Halloween is around the corner. In recent years, Parkview Field has been synonymous with Fort Wayne’s growth and revival. But while we’ve often idealized it as a “field of dreams,” we haven’t talked about the “Parkview” in it.

Last week, The Guardian called attention to the elephant in the region: Parkview Health’s monopoly on Northeast Indiana’s healthcare – and its consequences. We cover what they revealed and where we go from here in Talk of the Week.

We also have an abbreviated issue this week, but we do discuss a concerning pattern of small business closures. And on a lighter note, we share some spooky seasonal events for your end-of-October calendar.

Don’t forget: This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at Swizzle Market, or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. Learn how to claim your free offer in the newsletter.

10/16/2024

Happy Sober October! Have you been to at yet? They sell alcohol-free bottled and canned cocktails, wine, beer and spirits. They also have a cafe and AF cocktail bar, and they provide shelf space for regional makers and small business owners to market their products on consignment. Stop by, and you’ll find some local art, unique plants, handcrafted leather bags, candles, cards, 3-D printed lamps and more!

Get all the deets and menu recs in a free story on our website with Owner Crystal Vann Wallstrom and employee Heather Grady.

This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at Swizzle Market, or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. Did you know we give our paid members a freebie every month at a local business to cover the cost of membership? Start a $6/month membership with The Local today, and you can claim that free drink! See our newsletter for details.

10/15/2024

Hey Locals, You heard it first. Last summer, we broke news of ’s impending fiscal cliff. Now, the issue is coming before City Council, and Fort Wayne will have to decide whether to fund public transportation or not. We share what to know about last week’s heated council meeting.

We also have a lot of development news coming your way, from the grand opening of and , to new projects at and Electric Works on the horizon.

If you missed our Local Live event in September, it’s not too late to tune in on @89.1_wboi’s podcast version of the discussion on Cycling for Transportation Downtown. The conversation features the Urban Trail, citizen advocacy for walkable communities and a preview of The Elex, the first residential units at . Tune in on WBOI Presents.

Don’t forget: This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at , or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. Learn how to claim your free offer in the newsletter.

10/09/2024

Reader question: When will Moody Park be redeveloped?

"Park masterplans are helpful because, when funding becomes available, you need to know what you’re doing. But having a masterplan is only the first step."

10/08/2024

Hey Locals, This week, we’re talking about rising office vacancy rates in Fort Wayne, and what’s causing them. We also cover regional craft brewery closings and a petition to fund upgrades across all branches.

Plus, we respond to a reader question about why proposed changes to Moody Park aren’t happening yet – and how you might get upgrades at a park near you.

Don’t forget: This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at , or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. Learn how to claim your free offer in the newsletter.

10/02/2024

The Deeper Dive: Citilink seeks special tax levy to avoid 'deep' cuts in 2025

“Now is the critical moment for those in the community who value public transportation and want to see it preserved or expanded to tell their stories.”

10/02/2024

Q&A with Swizzle Market: Fort Wayne's non-alcoholic beverage shop

"I did not realize when I started this how big of a need it was."

10/01/2024

Hey Locals, It’s a critical week for public transportation with not one, but two major issues coming before City Council on Oct. 8. First, Fort Wayne’s primary bus service Citilink is seeking a special tax levy to avoid “deep” service cuts. Plus, City Council keeps delaying funding for the Urban Trail despite data and public input. We delve into why.

We also have details on a vintage shop moving to The Landing and a new chef at BakerStreet Steakhouse competing on “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Don’t miss our new deal with Swizzle Market, a cafe serving coffee drinks and non-alcoholic beer, wine, spirits and cocktails at Jefferson Pointe.

In October: all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at Swizzle Market, or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. Learn how to claim your free offer in the newsletter.

09/26/2024

If you’ve attended late-night events at Penny Drip or a handful of other local venues, you might have heard musician Cambry Hicks DJing. But if you ask Hicks about this, he’ll tell you that DJing is something he picked up “out of spite.”

It was a way to make extra money when he lived in New York, and since he’s returned to his hometown in Fort Wayne, it’s a way he can bring a little big city culture to the community.

“I do it so I can play the type of music I want to hear,” he says.

For Hicks, finding his culture and community within Fort Wayne has been a lifelong journey, one that drove him to start meeting friends and creating content online and one that continues to drive him to create – producing film, art and music that speaks to his soul.

Along with working his day job as Program Manager at Cinema Center, he works with creatives across the country and around the world to make films and his own genre-bending R&B music.

This week, he’s releasing his second EP “001” at Astra Lounge on Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. The event will feature a track-by-track breakdown of his 5-song EP, exclusive merch and more. We sat down with Hicks to learn more about his background, his work and what to expect at his EP release party on the link in our bio.

09/25/2024

Hey Locals, This week, we’re talking about things to watch in Mayor Sharon Tucker’s 2025 City budget proposal. We also share updates on the Allen County Jail project and a new roundabout near Electric Works.

In the Local Spotlight, we feature rising R&B artist , hosting a release party for his new EP this week.

Don’t forget: In September, The Local is partnering with to bring all paid subscribers a free order of “Fries, but Loaded” with beer cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream. Learn how to claim your free offer here.

09/25/2024

Fort Wayne's rising R&B artist Cambry H is releasing a new EP this week

"Growing up, I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere here, so I used the internet to find my people."

09/21/2024

When Liz Kelpin gets a moment to herself as a busy mother of two young children in Fort Wayne, she often wants to browse a local bookstore. While she loves scouring the shelves of Hyde Brothers for rare and used books, she sometimes has to go to a big box store for newer titles.

“Fort Wayne really doesn’t have any local bookstores selling new books,” Kelpin says. “It feels like, with the resurgence of Downtown and local business, we should.”

After toying with the idea for years and seeing a rise in reading physical books during the pandemic, Kelpin began working with to build a business plan for a local bookstore “on a whim.” Now her vision is a reality in a new shop along North Anthony. Learn more about on our website.