The latest venture for local restaurateurs Johnny Perez and his wife, Esli Barron, Spoke + Ivy is now open at 1402 W. Main St. 

The couple operate Te Gusto Hospitality, which includes Papi’s Pizza and Mercado — both on The Landing — as well as the soon-to-come Ducky’s at The Pearl. 

At Spoke + Ivy, the first-floor dining room serves coffee, cocktails, salads, sandwiches, and soups. In the evening, they expand their menu to include steak, seafood, and pasta. 

Downstairs is Black Rabbit Bar, which you’ll have to wait a few weeks to be ready. When they do open the bar, you can grab a draft beer or a cocktail while nibbling on charcuterie, pigs in a blanket, filet skewers, or truffles. 

The restaurant is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday, 4-10:30 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. 

Learn more at spokeandivy.com.

Brown Bag Lunch fundraiser returns March 5

SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect) recently rebranded itself to Iris Family Support Center. 

Despite the name change, their annual Brown Bag Lunch is still going strong and will celebrate its 40th year March 5. 

For the fundraiser, which they hope reaches $40,000 this year, Casa Restaurants provides meals that can be picked up from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Summit, 1025 W. Rudisill Blvd., or delivered if you have 10 or more meals. 

Meals start at $10 for individual Insalata Casaburo and $12 for pasta and meatballs with Insalata Casaburo. They also have family-style trays, which include dessert from Nothing Bundt Cakes. 

Iris say their programs “protect children, prepare parents, strengthen families, and educate the community to stop child abuse and neglect.” 

For more information or to place your order, go online to irisfamily.org/brown-bag-lunch or call (260) 249-7915. The deadline to place an order is the morning of Feb. 28 or until they sell out of the meals they have available this year.

Utopian closing shop on The Landing

After five years on The Landing, Utopian Coffee, 118 W. Columbia St., is closing the location. 

According to an Instagram post, their lease is ending. 

They’ll still roast coffee at their processing facility on South Calhoun, which will become a “coffee lab.” 

“This new facility will allow us to engage the public and wholesale tastings, training, and tours,” the post said. 

It’s about regaining focus, they say. 

“We are best suited to roast for and support cafés, not run ourselves.” 

Utopian Coffee has been in business since 2006 and supplies several coffee shops. The roasting facility opened in 2020.

United Way food drive at Salsa Grille locations

United Way of Allen County is in the midst of a food drive, collecting canned and non-perishable items at Salsa Grille locations around the city. 

Drop-off sites include The Village of Coventry, 5735 Falls Drive; Coldwater Place, 7755 Coldwater Road; just west of St. Joe Village, 5709 YMCA Park Drive E.; and the Salsa Grille Taqueria, 2031 Broadway, beside George’s International Market. 

Donations will go to Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry, and Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County. 

In 2024, the drive collected about 7,000 pounds of food. 

You can also contribute at unitedwayallencounty.org/food-drive.

Pizza Hut franchisee Deanna Freeland dies, 85

Deanna Freeland has died at 85.

She and her husband, Dick Freeland, brought Pizza Hutto Fort Wayne, establishing their first store in 1972 on East State Boulevard. Their franchise grew to nearly 50 stores in Indiana. 

Freeland was heavily involved with local nonprofit agencies, including Junior Achievement and Turnstone. 

Dick Freeland died in 2013.

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