Gay bars westfield in

The property at the corner of Westfield Boulevard and Winthrop Avenue in Broad Ripple — most recently the Ripple Inn, which closed in — soon will gain new life with a pan-Asian restaurant on the main floor and a gay bar upstairs. Restaurateur Bill Ficca, who is an owner in half a dozen area restaurants including Burger, which opened recently at Westfield Blvd.

Broad Ripple restaurateur will add Asian restaurant and gay bar to the mix

An upstairs bar at the Westfield Blvd. Former tenants the Ripple Inn and the Broad Ripple Steakhouse both operated bars on the building's upper floor. But Ficca said his as-yet-unnamed nightspot will cater to the local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. That's what we do — look for underserved niches. Broad Ripple Village Association president Jay Wetzel said the village would welcome such an establishment.

I think that would be great for the village. Longtime area business owner Coby Palmer, of Coby Palmer Designs, called Ficca's plans "an excellent idea for the village. I think it's time they had one. That was really gay. But there's never been a real gay bar in Broad Ripple.