Fountain Square restaurant Pioneer stops serving food

Food was good, the space was great, the neighborhood was right, but Pioneer restaurant in Fountain Square had to stop serving food if it was going to survive.

The 1110 E. Shelby St. restaurant has not closed. It continues to operate as a bar and music venue, with shows starting earlier than before. What's next for the food menu remains to be seen, but owners know they need to lower prices.

"Our model is not sustainable right now," general manager J.B. Andrews said.

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Food service ended June 5, although chips, jerky and other snacks will be available to meet state laws requiring bars serve some food.

The morning after the regular menu concluded, crews moved dining room furniture into storage. Table seating will remain in the bar and on the patio to accommodate a new menu due in coming months, Andrews said. He was not ready to reveal what dishes Pioneer will serve.

"Whatever food we do, I want to way scale it down," Andrews said.

Pioneer has won local and national accolades for its northeastern Italian and Alpine food since the restaurant opened in September 2015.

Selections have included housemade sausages and a mint, ricotta and fresh pea tartine that got a nod on former Food & Wine magazine editor Dana Cowin's Instagram.

Lately, dishes have leaned more familiar: meatballs in tomato sauce, spaghetti alla carbonara, double cheeseburgers. Entree prices have dropped a few bucks, too, down into the $9 to $24 range, but that still seems to be more than the market was willing to pay, especially in a city where, Andrews said, "A lot of restaurants at the same price point are trying to capture the same audience."

"This business is about first impressions," Andrews said. "It's not about the people coming in; it's about them coming back."

Pioneer being a multi-purpose venue also splintered its audience into people who considered it a neighborhood bar, a late-night music place, a destination restaurant and a brunch spot. Not grabbing enough attention from a single segment also hurt the business, Andrews said. Guest numbers changed radically week to week.

"We'd do like 30 people one Wednesday, 150 the next," Andrews said.

Pioneer chef Lane Milburn, one of restaurant's eight kitchen staffers, has not responded to an IndyStar query about his future plans. Many of the 11 dining room employees will take on new roles at Pioneer, Andrews said.

Follow IndyStar food writer Liz Biro on Twitter: @lizbiro, Instagram: @lizbiro, and on Facebook. Call her at (317) 444-6264.