Since Jean-Robert's French Crust Café added dinner hours on Friday and Saturday to its Findlay Market location, many have been looking for more reasons to head to everyone's favorite historic market house in the evenings and after work. Good news: Findlay was listening, and it just announced that it is launching extended evening hours this spring.

Starting May 3 and continuing through Sept. 27, the market will be open until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays. The market normally closes at 6 p.m., but after customers began requesting later hours for after-work shopping, the decision was made to stay open one day a week. An evaluation at the end of campaign will determine if the extended hours will become permanent.

The urban grocer is home to more than 40 full-time merchants offering everything from wine and spices to fresh produce, grab-and-go gourmet, specialty meats and more, including pantry staples. And even though extended hours for the market means extended work hours for many of the independent merchants, there's much excitement.

“I want to support the future of Findlay Market,” says Jeanette Werle, owner of Cake Rack Bakery, in a recent press release. “I want this public market to continue to exist for the next generation. I want the next generation to experience an open public market, the melting pot of ethnic groups, the Italianate architecture, the treasures hidden within this iconic place. We need to adapt to the exciting changes happening in our neighborhood, while continuing to serve those families that have been shopping at Findlay Market for decades.”

And Kate Zaidan, the second-generation owner of Dean’s Mediterranean Imports, agrees, saying, "We are seeing more and more people in the evenings hours and we want to serve the customers both here in the neighborhood, as well as people that are coming from work nearby. I am a regular shopper myself and can’t always complete my shopping trips on the weekends. These new hours allow my customers and me the ability to now get in a trip on Wednesday evenings."

In addition to keeping the market doors open, Findlay is launching a Groceries & Grilling event on Wednesdays. Each week, a market merchant or vendor will demo a themed recipe in the new demo kitchen. Guests can take a recipe card and list of ingredients beforehand so they too can act like a chef and prepare the same dish alongside the merchants at provided satellite grills. See themes and more info on Groceries & Grilling here.

Findlay Market is located at 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Hours starting May 3 will be 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday; 8 a.m.-6 p.m Saturday; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m .Sunday. More info: findlaymarket.org.

(If you need more incentive to visit Findlay after-hours on more than just Wednesdays, read our review of French Crust's new location here.)