"I feel like we'll be welcomed, and that we'll be able to provide more access for people who might not travel around as much or live farther out."
Kristen Shelley said that to Indiana Public Media in May. She was explaining why the Trojan Horse, a Greek-American restaurant that spent more than 40 years at 100 E. Kirkwood Ave. in downtown Bloomington, is moving up the road to Ellettsville. Her reasoning shows up in more than one restaurant story this year. Food businesses that built a following somewhere else are picking Ellettsville for the space they couldn't get where they started. One of them is moving into the building where a family diner served the west side of town for 36 years.
One Building, Two Long-Running Restaurants
The story starts in January. Wee Willie's West, the diner at 4618 W. Richland Plaza Drive, closed on Jan. 11. The restaurant's farewell post on Facebook read, "We would like to thank all of our customers over the past 36 years for making our business unique. However it is time for me to concentrate on spending more time with my family." In later posts, the restaurant offered its equipment and spices for sale to the public.
The Indiana Daily Student pointed out that this was the second and final Wee Willie's to close. The first, on Walnut Street, was owned by Brenda and William Lutgens, the parents of Wee Willie's West owner Troy Lutgens. It closed in April 2015 after its store manager, Roy Wathen, died. The City of Bloomington bought that property the same year, and today it's an entrance to Switchyard Park.
Two days after the Ellettsville diner closed, Brenda and William Lutgens sold the Richland Plaza property to Filoi Tovim LLC. The address on the sales disclosure is registered to Christos Katris, president of Lincoln Square Restaurants, the company that runs the Lincoln Square Pancake House chain in Indiana. Katris answered the obvious question in a voicemail to the IDS: "I can tell you there's no plans for the Lincoln Square at that property. Just investment."
By May, the building's next tenant was public. Kristen and Michael Shelley would take the Trojan Horse from Kirkwood to 4618 W. Richland Plaza Drive. So the same Richland Plaza building is going from one long-running family restaurant straight to another.
Here are the 2026 moves that changed where Ellettsville eats:
| Business | Address | What changed | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wee Willie's West | 4618 W. Richland Plaza Drive | Closed after 36 years; property sold Jan. 13 | Jan. 11, 2026 |
| The Trojan Horse | 4618 W. Richland Plaza Drive | Relocating from 100 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington | Reopening targeted for September 2026 |
| Phat Daddy's BBQ | 4747 Ind. 46 | Ellettsville location closed; moving to 905 15th St., Bedford | Last Ellettsville day July 19, 2026 |
| Hearth & Harvest Bakery and Farm Stop | 202 W. Temperance St. | New bakery and farm stop | Covered as open Sept. 2; ribbon cutting Sept. 18, 2026 |
What "More Room" Means on Richland Plaza Drive
Shelley's reasons are practical. She told WFIU the move was about having more space and making the restaurant easier to reach for families and for people with mobility issues. She said a roomier location would help the Trojan Horse serve the community better and last "another 40 years-plus."
She also plans to bring pieces of the old restaurant along and rearrange them in the new space, so longtime customers still recognize the Trojan Horse. For a restaurant that sat on Kirkwood for four decades, that's a deliberate choice. The building is new to the restaurant, but the restaurant itself isn't meant to feel new.
The timing has moved back. In early May, the B Square Bulletin reported an August move, confirmed by a Trojan Horse server. WFIU's May 21 report said the restaurant hoped to complete the move in August. By the Indiana Daily Student's summer roundup, published in August, the target had become a September reopening. As of early October, we haven't found a public announcement that the Ellettsville location has opened. We also haven't found published details on its hours, menu, seating or parking, so check the restaurant's own channels before you go.
From a Market Table to Temperance Street
The second business that came to Ellettsville for room started much smaller. Hearth & Harvest Bakery and Farm Stop, at 202 W. Temperance St., is owned by Brad Taylor of The Bearded Baker and Rachel Wiehe of Weirdough Cookie Co. The two bake sourdough and gourmet cookies there every day. The Herald-Times reported the opening on Sept. 2. The Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber of Commerce held the official ribbon cutting on Friday, Sept. 18.
Taylor's bread started as a home project. In his own description, he began natural-leaven baking in January 2020, making an occasional loaf for his family. He later worked up to nearly 50 sourdough loaves a week for a local farmers market. The Bearded Baker was on the Ellettsville Farmers Market vendor list for Oct. 4, 2025. Wiehe started Weirdough Cookie Co. and specializes in custom cookies.
The new shop stays open longer than a market stall and carries far more than one vendor's goods. The Chamber listing describes more than 20 local vendors selling fresh and frozen meats, produce, milk and home goods. Its tags also mention English muffins, cookie cakes, cookie classes, edible printing, greens and lotions. The listing doesn't name the outside vendors or explain how the farm stop pays them, so the shelves are the place to find out who's stocking it.
These are the hours on the Chamber listing. They come from an undated directory page, so call ahead at 812-269-8616 to confirm:
- Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday, closed
A Saturday baker who has a storefront open six days a week has gained the same thing the Trojan Horse is moving for: more room and more hours to serve people.
The Move That Went the Other Way
Not every 2026 move ended in Ellettsville. Phat Daddy's BBQ served its last day at 4747 Ind. 46 on July 19. The owners are moving the restaurant to 905 15th St. in Bedford, the Herald-Times reported in late July. The coverage we reviewed didn't say why they chose Bedford. Ellettsville regulars who want to keep eating there will find it at the new Bedford address.
This doesn't undercut the bigger picture. Restaurant owners decide where to go based on what a building, a lease and a location give them. This year, two of those decisions brought established food businesses into Ellettsville, and one took a local favorite to Bedford.
Where Residents Get a Say
The Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber's Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Nominations can come from Chamber members or the general public. After a year with this many openings and moves, the nomination form is open to anyone with a favorite new spot in town.
When someone moves to Ellettsville, they also learn its routines: where to pick up bread on a Saturday, which plaza has the restaurant you want. If you're weighing a move here, or a change within north Monroe County, The Evans Realty Group is glad to talk through how the town is changing and what that means for you. Let's Start a Conversation.
