'For all we knew, we were in an actual Apocalypse.' Eatery closing, started as pandemic popup
Apocalypse Burger, the pandemic-born smashburger concept in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood, will close permanently Saturday.
“Apocalypse Burger will be smashing its last burger on Saturday, March 9th,” owner Martha Hoover announced on social media Wednesday. “What was meant to be a short-term pop-up created to combat our collective Pandemic depression (we like serving customers and being with people) lasted a lot longer than any of us planned.”
Part of the Won't Stop Hospitality Inc. restaurant group, it opened at 115 E. 49th St. in July 2020 as a carry-out pop-up in response to the coronavirus pandemic, selling burgers, deep-fried mushroom sandwiches, duck fries and chocolate Ding Dong Cakes.
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The concept started with a family conference video call just after the state-mandated closures of dine-in restaurants in Indiana.
“The call where I said, 'let’s open a new restaurant but one that embraces an unknown future.' I mean, we didn’t even know that there would be a future in March of 2020. For all we knew, we were in an actual Apocalypse,” Hoover said in the post, which also took a swipe at celeb-led chain Wahlburgers. “What was intended as a short run to create some jobs and a little much needed cash flow allowed us to vent about the utter unknown of it all. Namaste to being resilient.”
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Resources in 2024 need to go to continuing to grow the mother brand, Café Patachou, she said, adding that the space that had housed Patachou’s Crispy Bird fried chicken restaurant before the burger spot, will be used for pop-ups and concept testing.
A seven-inch version of the popular Ding Dong Cake will continue to be available at the Cafe Patachou online store.com.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter: @cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Apocalypse Burger started as a pandemic popup. Now it's closing.
