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ASCENDENT INDEPENDENTS
Table By Market District Marries
Retail And Foodservice
Guests seek out exotic produce, specialty items and organics. BY LINDA BROCKMAN
What? A restaurant attached to grocery store?
That was Lauren Stafford’s first reaction when she heard about the dining concept called Table, a full-service, sit-down restaurant connected to Market District supermarket in Carmel, IN.
“But as soon as I tasted this ... she points to her Power Bowl with farro, avocado, sweet potatoes, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, raisins and apples ... I thought: ‘I need to come back here,’ ” says Stafford, who lives in Nobles- ville, an Indianapolis suburb just north of Carmel. Dining with her husband and son, she commented on the dish’s freshness. “It tasted
like it was made from scratch. I’ve never seen an upscale restaurant in a grocery store. It’s so unexpected.”
That’s how most people react, says Table’s staff. Sure, lots of supermarkets have deli counters and food bars with casual seating, but Market District’s concept is different.This is a 130-seat restaurant with a lively kitchen and waitstaff serving a varied and rotating menu.Table serves beer and wine,with regular wine tastings and a monthly wine-and-dine dinner. Lunch and dinner are served daily, and there is brunch on Sundays.
“We’ve married retail and culinary, and it works,” says Rick Hopkins, director of food
PHOTOS COURTESY OF XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PRODUCE BUSINESS / JUNE 2019 / 17