A new restaurant blending family dining with a 21-and-older bar scene is headed to Carmel City Center this December. Taylor's Restaurant Group plans to open Taylor's Bar & Table in the former Aroma Experience space at 885 Monon Green Blvd., Suite 108, and expects to hire 30 to 40 employees to staff it.
According to Current Publishing, the Carmel location is targeting the first part of December 2026 for its opening. The restaurant will split its footprint down the middle, dedicating half the space to family dining and reserving the other half for bar seating limited to guests aged 21 and older.
A Different Kind of Taylor's
Clinton Hiatt, president of Taylor's Restaurant Group, described the Carmel project as a departure from the company's existing Pub & Grill locations, which operate strictly as 21-and-older establishments. “This is the next evolution of what Taylor's is,” Hiatt said, per the same outlet's report. He added that “what the space is going to be is really something people won't expect from Taylor's.”
The new restaurant is meant to give guests an atmosphere suited for watching games or settling in for a date night, Current Publishing's report notes. Hiatt said the company is aiming for food and service quality comparable to some upscale Carmel restaurants, but at a different price point, and that the menu will take shape in part around the strengths of its culinary and hospitality team. “I think we can find that sweet spot within the talent and product and atmosphere and vibe,” he said.
From Two Indianapolis Pubs to a Statewide Footprint
Taylor's traces back to 1995, when the company opened its first Pub & Grill at 86th and Ditch roads in Indianapolis, followed by a second location at 86th Street and Westfield Boulevard in 1997. The company didn't introduce its hybrid bar-and-family concept until 2022, when it opened the first Taylor's Bar & Table in Ingalls, Indiana, pairing a family area with a 21-and-over section, pub food and a bar, according to the Greenfield Reporter. That Ingalls location was built out as a larger operation, with plans for 202 seats and between 30 and 35 employees, roughly double the staffing of a typical Taylor's at the time, the paper reported.
The company's philosophy has long centered on hospitality as much as the menu itself. “They're coming in for an atmosphere and they're coming in for the people,” the Greenfield Reporter quoted Clinton Hiatt as saying around the Ingalls opening. Hiatt echoed that emphasis on staff and collaboration when discussing the Carmel plans, saying, “We rely heavily on other people's knowledge and what they bring to the table,” and noting that Taylor's focuses on building an environment where employees are part of the guest experience.
Hiring Now, Opening Soon
Taylor's Restaurant Group waited for the right opportunity before expanding into Carmel, according to Hiatt's comments to Current Publishing, and the Carmel City Center space became available in the summer of 2026. The company is now actively recruiting ahead of the opening. Its website states, “Taylor's Bar & Table – Carmel is opening soon, and we're building our team! We're now accepting applications for all positions,” and a separate company site invites prospective staff to apply for jobs.
Taylor's Bar & Table also promotes catering services for birthday parties, holiday parties, corporate events and wedding festivities, according to its own website. With the opening timed for early December, the new spot may draw visitors attending the nearby Carmel Christkindlmarkt. The restaurant will join other announced additions to Carmel City Center, including the previously reported Charred steakhouse and bourbon bar and plans for an Indian restaurant expansion at the same Monon Green Boulevard address, both covered earlier by Current Publishing.
