Allison Carter

allison.carter@indystar.com

Newk's has opened its first Indiana location at 1279 N. Emerson Ave., Suite A-1, in Greenwood. This story was originally published in September 2016.

A Mississippi-based fast-casual restaurant will make its first foray into the Hoosier state with 15 new restaurants. Newk's Eatery will open the locations throughout Indianapolis, the northern suburbs and Southern Indiana over the next several years.

At Newk's, you order at the counter and have your food brought to you and your table bused for you. The restaurant prides itself on its southern hospitality and its scratch-made food. There are no microwaves or heat lamps, said Chris Cheek, chief development officer for Newk's. All salad dressings are made in-house and the kitchen is open for all to see.

The menu features sandwiches, soups, salads and pizzas. Notable items include a heavy emphasis on Southern-favorite pimento cheese, featured in both a sandwich and as a mac and cheese. You can also enjoy Thanksgiving all year round with a turkey and cranberry sandwich. For a side, you can try "Tippah County Caviar," a spicy black-eyed pea salad. Finish it all off with a red velvet whoopie pie.

All 15 restaurants will be operated by Stephen "Kent" Mabe and Mitias Garrett Investments LLC.

"Newk's is designed from top to bottom for the way people want to eat today, and we think the concept will take off in the Indianapolis area," said Mabe in a press release.

New York-style pizzeria coming to Mass Ave.

Newk's decided to expand into Indiana based on the strength of Mabe as a franchisee, Cheek said. The restaurant also tries to grow naturally from one area to the next, and with restaurants in the works in Lexington, Ky. and plans for Cincinnati and Springfield, Indianapolis was a logical choice, according to Cheek.

Newk's currently operates 104 restaurants in 14 states.

Allison Carter is an engagement producer at IndyStar and is vaguely unsettled by pimento cheese. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonLCarter.