No more chicken and waffles or fried pickles for Butler’s neck of the woods. Photo by Sammy Spencer.
ABBY KIDWELL | STAFF REPORTER | arkidwell@butler.edu
ANA DOLLARD | STAFF REPORTER | adollard@butler.edu
In the past academic year, changes to campus dining hours cost students Sunday Starbucks pick-me-ups and late-night ice cream runs at A-Town Market. However, these losses pale compared to the recent closure of Joella’s Hot Chicken in Broad Ripple.
Joella’s story
Joella’s Hot Chicken opened in 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky, but has since expanded to eight other locations throughout Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Since Joella’s Broad Ripple’s birth in the fall of 2018, the restaurant has provided Butler students with comfort, conversation and convenience.
Isabel Villanueva, a senior sports media and creative media and entertainment double major, has been a loyal Joella’s customer for three and a half years.
“It was a place to catch up with my friends who I had not seen in a while,” Villanueva said. “Every time I was in Joella’s, it was for a good hour or two. Back in the fall, I hung out with two of my friends, one who had graduated and one who is a senior … for the first time after not seeing each other all summer.”
Over a meal of chicken tenders, mac and cheese and homemade lemonade, Butler students could commiserate over typical college woes and enjoy the low-key ambiance of the establishment.
However, the joy of Joella’s came to a sudden demise when the chain closed its Broad Ripple chicken shop on Jan. 26, 2025.
Joella’s cause of death
The decision to close the doors of the Broad Ripple location for the final time was not made lightly.
A public relations representative for Joella’s Hot Chicken shared the factors influencing their decision in an email to The Butler Collegian.
“While we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Broad Ripple location, this move allows us to strategically invest in areas that will better serve a broader customer base and enhance the long-term success of our brand,” Joella’s management team said.
What students will miss
Joella’s has a lot of menu items to offer its customer base, from garlic parmesan fries to banana pudding. However, to many Butler students, the restaurant was more than just the food items it offered — it was a hub for flourishing relationships.
For junior strategic communication major Benny Fruit, Joella’s was a gathering place that his circle of friends could revisit again and again.
“I really liked how it was usually empty,” Fruit said. “If I would go with a group of friends, it would just be us and maybe a couple [of] other tables. It was pretty quiet. You could have your own conversation [and still be heard].”
Students are desperate for accessible public spaces that provide opportunities for connection outside of school and work. From this need, a term arose — third place. Third places are defined as spaces where people can socialize without feeling obligated to stay and are accessible in location. Joella’s closure means the loss of both delicious food and a space where friendships bloomed outside of the classroom.
While Joella’s still has two locations in Indianapolis, the convenience of the Broad Ripple location for Butler students was a major draw. In addition, the individual memories that many students have tied to the Broad Ripple location are now replaced with grief, longing and distress.
Junior health sciences major Andon Belleville shared his raw reaction to the news of Joella’s passing.
“I am not an emotional man, [but] I shed tears for Joella’s; I was so sad,” Belleville said.
Final parting words
Belleville shared a poignant farewell to the restaurant.
“Thank you for the memories,” Belleville said. “I will miss you dearly.”
Villanueva thanked Joella’s for its time serving the entire neighborhood.
“Joella, thank you for your time in the Broad Ripple community … Your food will be greatly missed,” Villanueva said.
It suffices to say that the loss of Joella’s Hot Chicken has pained Butler students’ stomachs and hearts. Rest in peace.
