Iozzo’s on Jefferson, which was brought to town by former Franklin College students, opened on Monday, Feb. 17.
FRANKLIN, Ind.—Iozzo’s Garden of Italy, an Italian restaurant in downtown Indianapolis, has expanded its operations to the city of Franklin. Co-owners Katie Harris and Justin Anderson opened the new location this past week. Harris, the original owner and operator of the Indianapolis Iozzo’s, explained that the restaurant is a recreation of her great-grandfather and grandfather’s establishment that first opened in 1930. After operating their downtown Indianapolis location for over 15 years, Harris saw an opportunity to expand to Franklin.
“There is no real Italian sit-down restaurant anywhere within the Franklin community,” Harris said. “When we approached the city of Franklin, the redevelopment corporation and the mayor about potentially bringing Iozzo’s here, they said, ‘absolutely, we would love to have you.’”
Harris’ business partner, Justin Anderson, is a Franklin College alumnus who played football for the college in the 1990s. Anderson’s connection to the community and enthusiasm for the project made him the ideal partner for Harris.
“My first response was, absolutely, I am in,” Anderson recalled. “My second question was, how much can I be in?”
The two have worked tirelessly over the past two years to navigate the challenges of opening a restaurant in a historic building, including upgrading the space to modern fire suppression standards. Despite the obstacles, their shared passion for hospitality and commitment to the community has driven them forward.
The owners also own Iozzo’s Garden of Italy, which is based out of Indianapolis.
Photo by Arianna Hunt, The Franklin News.
“Keeping hospitality at the forefront is always a way that we approach things,” Harris said. “Hospitality is something that you do, not only to your guests but to your staff, to your vendors, to your contractors.”
The new Iozzo’s location in Franklin is already making an impact, with the owners actively engaging with Franklin College to provide internships and employment opportunities for students. Anderson, in particular, is eager to build strong ties between the restaurant and his alma mater.
“I would love to have a direct pipeline to Franklin,” Anderson said. “Not only for help in regards to staffing but also, just like, can we help you with luncheons? Can we, you know, have the professors come over to eat and have meetings? We can do something for the football team.”
The Franklin is Franklin College’s student-run newspaper, which publishes seasonal print magazines and weekly news stories online—by students and for students.