What's Next?
Chef Announces Indigo Will Close in 2021
The acclaimed restaurant has won a slew of awards and honors.

Indigo chef/owner Jonny Rhodes.
While the COVID-19 pandemic shut down bars and limited the capabilities of restaurants, Jonny Rhodes, the chef and owner of celebrated fine dining restaurant Indigo in Trinity Gardens, thought the moment was ripe for an opportunity to change the conversation around producing and consuming food.
"With the restaurant concept shuttering, we have so many things left over," Rhodes told Houstonia in March. "It makes no sense not to go to what our Plan B was."
Plan B was Broham Fine Soul Foods & Groceries, a store that's stocked with farm-grown produce, locally raised meats, and in-house condiments, sauces, ice creams, pastries, and more. It's open six days a week at 517 Berry Rd, or the location of Indigo, and aims to bring fresh food straight to residents of the Trinity Gardens area.
Now, Rhodes wants to focus completely on that mission. He announced Monday on Instagram that Indigo, which became a near overnight success with its exceptional dishes inspired by the historical survival of black and indigenous people, will last for just one more year, and then all his attentions will turn back to Broham.
"I gave it more than my all, I nearly gave it my life," wrote Rhodes on his Instagram post. "All of the success has never meant much, I once found joy in just cooking in my own space on my own time. But there are expectations that come with that. Expectations that have left me with terrible experiences in words I can never post online. Guest(s) aren’t always nice, they don’t always understand, and neither do employees even when they see you trying to keep it all together. As I reflect on my life the past few years I know now that this is something I no longer want for myself. It has damaged me in every way imaginable. This will be Indigo’s final year."
Indigo, at which Rhodes educated diners on systematic racism, slavery, prejudice, the history of American food, and the destruction of black communities and bodies, quickly earned the chef major plaudits. He was nominated for the 2019 James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year award, and the restaurant was named one of Time Magazine's World's Greatest Places for 2019. Per a spokesperson, the restaurant will reopen July 23 after being closed because of COVID-19. It'll stay open through July 24, 2021; one day later Rhodes plans to host an anniversary domino tournament.
The Indigo menu will feature some new dishes plus greatest hits, but Rhodes is paring down his services. There'll be one 7 p.m. service on Thursdays and Sundays, and 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. services on Fridays and Saturdays.
As for Broham, it'll remain open during Indigo's off hours. During the final year, Rhodes will be clearing purchased land for farming and looking to expand Broham into a separate building. The Rhodes family has started a GoFundMe to raise money for the effort.