Copper Spoon to Open Second Fort Wayne Restaurant Site

The restaurant will shift to a family-friendly model at its new Pine Valley location by early 2027.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Copper Spoon to Open Second Fort Wayne Restaurant Site

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Copper Spoon plans to open a second restaurant location in the Pine Valley Shopping Center at Dupont and Coldwater Roads by late 2026 or early 2027. The expansion aims to capture demand for farm-to-table dining in the area with a design that is more family-friendly than the company's age-restricted downtown site.

Why it matters

The move enables the operator to diversify its service model by transitioning from an adults-only downtown concept to a family-oriented suburban dining space. By leveraging locally sourced ingredients in a high-traffic retail hub, the business targets a specific market gap on Dupont Road.

The new facility features a 40-person banquet room and a 16-person private dining room, significantly increasing total capacity compared to the downtown location. The project aims to fill a market gap for farm-to-table dining with a family-friendly venue.

The players

Copper Spoon

A restaurant operator known for its downtown Fort Wayne location that requires customers to be 21 or older.

Chandler Bird

The beverage director responsible for overseeing the drink lineup at the new facility.

The details

Renovations are underway in the space previously occupied by Hideout 125, which the restaurant is retrofitting to accommodate both lunch service and expanded event capabilities. Chandler Bird is tasked with developing the beverage program to align with the suburban location's broader demographic. The strategy relies on maintaining the brand's commitment to locally sourced ingredients while adjusting operational policies to remove the 21-and-older age restriction enforced at the downtown site.

Renovations are expected to conclude by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Market Landscape

This development follows a broader industry trend where urban restaurant brands seek to capture suburban market share through increased venue versatility. It marks a significant shift from the brand's existing downtown-centric, age-restricted operational model.

Owners should evaluate how adjusting service models to accommodate family dining and event banquets can help secure suburban market share. Watch for potential labor or supply chain constraints when managing multiple venues with different operational requirements.

The takeaway

Expanding to a second location offers an opportunity to test a more inclusive, family-friendly operational framework. Operators should track the success of this new space's banquet room capacity against their own facility utilization rates to benchmark potential ROI for similar event-space investments.