The Farm Across Michigan Road Has Enough Restaurants. Its Next Openings Are for Errands.
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
Waterfront of West Clay sits on the northeast corner of 116th Street and Michigan Road, in Carmel. Across Michigan Road, in Zionsville, is The Farm. It's a 48-acre mixed-use development built by Pittman Partners on land that used to be the Pittman family's farm. A state project filing lists 116th and Sycamore as its closest intersection. From the neighborhood, it's one road away.
In 2026 The Farm added sushi, tacos, salads, a bakery and an ice cream shop. In July the people leasing it said publicly that the food side is mostly set. The openings still ahead are a pizza and drafthouse, a nail salon, more service businesses and a grocery store. For a neighborhood that sits this close, those will do more for weekday errands than any new restaurant.
Almost everything at The Farm has a Sylo Crossing address. Here is what opened in 2026, in order:
That's seven openings between February and June. Niku's August grand opening was a celebration for a restaurant that had already been serving for months. After June, the pace slowed.
Current in Zionsville profiled The Farm on July 15. By then the newcomers had joined a lineup that already included Bibibop, Piada, West Coast Sourdough, Shake Shack and CAVA. The paper said prices run from higher-end at Niku to more affordable at Shake Shack and Torchy's.
Sam Pittman runs the retail side of the development. He described where things stand:
"We have a lot of the food category checked off."
A Waterfront household can already get a salad bowl, a sushi dinner, tacos, a bread order, a burger or a scoop of ice cream without crossing more than one road. Some practical needs are covered too: Community Pet Healthcare, Machos Barbershop, Prime IV Hydration & Wellness, Vio Med Spa and the new bank branch. The tenant list still has gaps, though. There's no grocery store yet, no nail salon yet, and no sit-down spot built around drinks and pizza for a weeknight. The next round of openings is meant to fill those gaps.
The Pittmans have said they plan to bring in more service businesses. As of July, three projects were in progress.
Crafter's Pizza and Drafthouse. A new commercial building was under construction with room for five tenants and a completion target of September. Crafter's is the first tenant named. A state alcohol permit list from March ties Crafter's Pizza to 11792 Sylo Crossing. The other four tenants haven't been announced.
Hollywood Nails. In July the nail salon was in build-out and listed as coming soon. The same March state list ties Hollywood Nail Lounge to 11545 Sylo Crossing. That puts it in the same row of addresses as Sweetgreen and Niku.
The Fresh Market. This will make the biggest difference to a household across the road. Steve Pittman confirmed in July that the grocery store planned for The Farm will be The Fresh Market. The North Carolina-based chain is modeled on a European-style market, and Carmel already has two locations. Its development plan received town approval earlier in 2026, and it's expected to open in late 2027. Pittman said he went after the chain after reading that USA Today had named it the Best Grocery Store in America three years running:
"When I read it, I said, 'That's what I want the grocery store to be. I want west Carmel and Zionsville to have the best.'"
He named west Carmel first. That's the side of Michigan Road where Waterfront of West Clay sits, and the developer is counting it as part of the customer base. Once a grocery store opens, weekly shopping joins dinner and coffee as something a Waterfront household can do without leaving the 116th and Michigan corner.
There's an open patch between Niku and Stock Yards Bank & Trust. It will be developed eventually, but the Pittmans aren't in a hurry.
"We haven't felt the need to be building something everywhere," Steve Pittman told Current. The paper reported that the family prefers smaller, incremental steps and has built The Farm in phases. Sam Pittman described the leasing the same way: "We probably say no more than we say yes." He added that any new tenant has to be a good fit and offer something new.
The timeline so far backs that up. The first phase was Sylo, a 400-unit apartment community that opened at the end of May 2025. As of July 2026, Steve Pittman put its occupancy near 60 percent. About a year after Sylo opened, the restaurant row was mostly full. The grocery store is planned more than a year after that. Steve Pittman has also said he would like a high-end steakhouse next to The Fresh Market, though that's likely several years away.
For people living across the road, that pace means the corner fills in a little at a time. Each new opening has been announced publicly before it arrived. So far the Pittmans haven't pushed construction across the whole site at once, and they've left open space on purpose.
The most detailed public update on The Farm is Current's July 15 report. A few items it described as upcoming had no public confirmation as of Oct. 5, 2026:
The Fresh Market's late-2027 target is the one firm date on the calendar so far.
When a grocery store and a row of everyday services open across the street, they can change how a home here gets described to buyers and how its value gets estimated. If you want to talk through how The Farm's next phase fits into your plans for a Waterfront of West Clay home, William Spencer Jr. is happy to walk through it with you. Let's Connect.
Whether you're buying your first home, upgrading to your dream property, or preparing to sell, William provides personalized guidance, local market expertise, and a seamless experience from start to finish. With a commitment to integrity, clear communication, and exceptional service, he's here to help you achieve your real estate goals.