A new fast-casual spot built around protein-packed bowls, burritos and smoothies has opened just off Monument Circle, bringing a Chicago-born chain to downtown Indianapolis for the first time. Protein Bar & Kitchen's debut local franchise occupies a ground-floor storefront at 6 W. Washington St. inside the historic eight-story H.P. Wasson & Co. Building, and it's owned by a couple with deep roots in restaurant franchising and one unusual day job in motorsports broadcasting.
The storefront sits just south of Monument Circle in the heart of downtown, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. It's the first of a three-unit central Indiana agreement signed by franchisees Jamie Little and Cody Selman, who plan to open a second downtown location and a third in Hamilton County, with downtown chosen first to build brand awareness among office workers and event attendees before expanding into suburban markets like Carmel or Fishers.
Little, a FOX Sports NASCAR reporter, told WISH-TV that she and her husband have been in franchising for 12 years. “It felt like a home run because it offers healthy food that tastes great,” Little said of the Indianapolis opportunity. She and Selman, a former business manager for NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, previously owned two Jimmy John's locations in Las Vegas and three Nothing Bundt Cakes franchises in central Indiana, and they opened a Crave Cookies store in Indianapolis in October 2025.
A Storefront With a Revolving Door of Tenants
The 6 W. Washington St. space has seen plenty of turnover. It previously housed Pearings Cafe & Frozen Yogurt from 2013 to 2020, hosted the pop-up lounge Plaid & Pearls during NBA All-Star Weekend in 2024, and briefly accommodated Arden Cafe & Cocktail Lounge in 2025, the same IBJ reporting notes. The building itself was purchased by Illinois-based Government Investment Partners in 2023.
Little and Selman's venture also leans into a local supply chain detail: the morning coffee program features beans roasted in Hamilton County by Westfield-based Rivet Coffee Bar & Roastery, which operates coffee shops and roasteries in Westfield and Zionsville, according to Visit Hamilton County. Per WISH-TV, the Indianapolis store serves breakfast bowls and burritos in the morning alongside Rivet coffee, with lunch starting at 10:30 a.m. and smoothies and shakes available all day.
What's On the Menu Downtown
Sarah Ayoub, the chain's director of operations, highlighted a dish with romaine, rice, gluten-free breaded chicken, pickled onion, tomatoes, spicy chipotle ranch and giardiniera, describing it to WISH-TV as the restaurant's take on a spicy chicken sandwich. Most items on the menu can be made as a wrap, bowl or burrito, the station reports. Popular picks include the Hot Chick, Almost Avocado Toast, açaí bowls, breakfast burritos and the Miso Salmon Bowl.
Seasonal offerings include a Smashing Pumpkin drink and a blackberry-banana-blueberry blend, while The Daily Grind — made with cold brew, banana and date syrup — serves as a staple menu item. Little said the menu includes options for everyone, including kids, and that the team is excited to offer convenient high-protein choices downtown. More information is available at theproteinbar.com/location/indianapolis.
A Chain Riding National Momentum
Protein Bar & Kitchen was founded in Chicago 17 years ago and signed its first multi-unit franchise agreement in 2024, according to Athletech News. Hoodline reported airport locations at Chicago O'Hare, New York LaGuardia and Salt Lake City, with Boise planned. In July 2024, the chain planned to open its first Northwest Indiana location in Crown Point the following month, Athletech News reported. In January, Hoodline reported on the corporate buyout that brought Protein Bar & Kitchen under Founders Table Restaurant Group, the parent company of Chopt Creative Salad Co. and Dos Toros Taqueria. Founders Table was formed when Chopt combined with Dos Toros in a deal backed by private equity firm L Catterton.
