The storefront of Friend’s Diner Indy, a new branch of the Whiteland restaurant.
Waylon O’Donnell | Daily Journal
A popular Whiteland diner has expanded to Indianapolis, where its owners hope to continue to be a “home away from home.”
Friend’s Diner now has a location on the southside, at 3915 Madison Avenue, Indianapolis. The new location, dubbed Friend’s Diner Indy, opened on Oct. 6.
The Whiteland diner, at 989 U.S. 31 North, first opened in 2018. Owner Reuben Perez decided to open a second location because the Whiteland restaurant has been operating successfully for a while, said Rachel Perez, Reuben’s wife and the restaurant administrator.
“The community is absolutely loving it,” Perez said. “We are really a home away from home. It is just a warm environment, good food, good coffee and breakfast all day with daily specials.”
Friend’s Diner Indy Manager Valerie Schlenz said the location has already established several regulars and that community members have said the area needed a restaurant like this.
“We still want that homey, country feel here,” Schlenz said. “We are working on getting the walls painted and some pictures put up. Hopefully, it will all be done within the next week.”
Restaurant staff aims to connect with students at the University of Indianapolis, which is located a block east. They want to incorporate collegiate interests in the design of the space such as local sports teams and the Indy 500, she said.
A downtown Indianapolis mural will also be painted inside the restaurant, Schlenz said.
When it comes to Friend’s Diner food, the top three sellers are the chicken and dumplings, biscuits and gravy and the tenderloin sandwich, which is cut and hand-breaded.
“Everything is made fresh to order,” Schlenz said. “We spend a lot of time prepping our food.”
Schlenz, who was first employed at the Whiteland location, said that the transition to manager was simple and that the Indianapolis community has been welcoming.
“I really want this place to succeed,” Schlenz said. “I think it has the potential to be just as good as our Whiteland location.
“The owners are outstanding people. They really care about their business and they are hands on. They go above and beyond for their employees,” she added.
All jobs are currently full, but will the restaurant will likely hire additional part-time employees in February.
Friend’s Diner Indy is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
