Magdalena, the acclaimed New Orleans-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar in Fountain Square, will pour its last drinks on October 6, 2026. Owner Nick Detrich confirmed the closing date.
Detrich told IndyStar that Magdalena's last day in business will be October 6, 2026, and he has said the city ignored the bar's struggles as construction dragged on nearby. Magdalena opened in the historic space long occupied by craft cocktail bar Thunderbird, which served drinks there from 2014 to 2022, according to ibj.com. The raw bar concept was originally scheduled to open November 23 at 1127 Shelby St., and Detrich purchased the 3,300-square-foot building for $1.6 million in 2023, per the same outlet's reporting.
Magdalena took over that historic Fountain Square space when it opened. The closure comes after months of construction tied to the Fountain Square Area Drainage Improvements Project, a months-long, multi-million-dollar effort that has reshaped access to Shelby Street.
A Drainage Project Years in the Making
The Fountain Square Area Drainage Improvements Project has affected access to Shelby Street.
Detrich said customers had come to see the construction itself as a deterrent, telling wrtv.com that “a lot of people see the construction and view it as a hazard,” leaving them uncertain about access and parking near Magdalena's door. He added that he supported the broader neighborhood improvements but wanted the bar spared from collateral damage, saying, “We just don't want to be trampled by it either.”
Neighbors Felt the Squeeze Too
Magdalena wasn't the only Fountain Square business grappling with the fallout. On the Rocks Mexican Kitchen, a newer restaurant across from Magdalena, told wrtv.com that the closures were hurting foot traffic because customers were confused about how to reach them, with an employee saying, “It's affecting us because some people are confused about the roads and everything.”
The infrastructure work includes stormwater systems designed so that runoff on Shelby Street drains to a bio-retention system, and officials have said a rain-garden feature built into the project is also meant to improve safety along the neighborhood's cycle track, per wrtv.com's reporting. Those improvements were still being built out, with the broader project not expected to wrap until spring 2027.
For now, Fountain Square regulars can say goodbye to Magdalena before its October 6 closing date arrives. The bar's run adds another name to the list of hospitality businesses navigating the long tail of the neighborhood's drainage overhaul.
