Hey Locals,

Craft cocktails aren't the only thing stirring up Fort Wayne's food scene. Last week, the topic of controversial – and costly – liquor licenses caused a ruckus at City Council. We dive into why.

In Briefs, we update you on a Fort Wayne businessman detained by ICE last summer, Paramjit Singh, and share what to expect at Mayor Sharon Tucker’s ICE-related public meeting this weekend. We also discuss a new structure for public comment at City Council, which might boost public participation. 

In our To Do List, we have ways to celebrate Black History Month and do a little good while you're at it. We also have an exciting new deal for you in February.

This month, we're partnering with Banh Mi Pho Shop on Fairfield to bring all paid subscribers to The Local a FREE Boba tea drink with the purchase of any food item ($5 or more). Learn more in this week's Local Spotlight.

Now, let’s get started.

NOTE: Links to Journal Gazette articles are marked(*) and may be behind a paywall.

Let’s talk liquor licenses:

Who gets them? Who doesn’t? And why it matters.

What's happening?

As local restaurants fight to keep doors open amidst rising prices and stagnant wages, the cost and availability of liquor licenses in Fort Wayne is causing a stir. Last week, City Council approved new three-way liquor licenses for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s new location Downtown and Paula’s on Main. Both establishments fall within special "districts" Downtown that allow them to qualify for highly discounted liquor licenses compared to what other local restaurants pay.

So… who gets liquor licenses? Who doesn’t? And why does it matter to the city’s food scene? 

We break it down in this week’s Above the Fold newsletter on Thursday – available to paid subscribers only.

• UPDATE: Fort Wayne resident and business owner Paramjit Singh has been released from custody after five months, his attorney tells us. You might remember: Earlier this year, Singh made international headlines for being detained by ICE in late-July despite having a brain tumor and a legal green card. His attorney, Luis Angeles, tells us: “After five months marked by multiple due process violations and Mr. Singh’s health deteriorating, he has been released from custody, and his removal proceedings have been dismissed by DHS. As a result, Mr. Singh will continue to be a United States resident. We are happy to see justice done in this case, but it also serves as a stark example of how the lies spread by DHS about my client were unfounded. These falsehoods were used to mislead the public and damage his reputation.” Newsweek reports: “Several green card holders have been detained based on decades-old legal issues” despite the Trump administration’s claims to target the "worst of the worst" undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
• About a month after City Council unexpectedly skipped public comment at its Jan. 13 meeting, it’s considering a new format to increase public participation. At its Feb. 10 meeting, Council will discuss letting the public speak at the beginning of its first and third meetings each month. Currently, the public can speak at the end of meetings on second and fourth Tuesdays (voting sessions). On first and third Tuesdays, no final action is taken by Council. Still, Council members say allowing for comment at the beginning of these meetings might provide more opportunity for citizen input on decisions. It’s unclear whether public comment would still happen on second and fourth Tuesdays if the schedule is changed.
• Mayor Sharon Tucker is holding an educational forum about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this weekend, in partnership with local law enforcement and immigration attorneys. The forum will be Feb. 7, 10-11:30 a.m., at the Grand Wayne Center (Convention Hall A) and will detail “what police and local officials can and cannot do regarding ICE activity in the city,” WPTA 21 reports. The meeting also includes public comment. Last week, several local businesses posted on social media or closed on Friday in solidarity with national “ICE out” protests. An organization called Fuerza Unida that empowers Latino communities through advocacy and education has a website with resources where residents can donate or volunteer.
• More Fort Wayne children are living in poverty, despite low unemployment locally. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows 17% of Allen County children ages 5-17 lived in households below the federal poverty line – up from 15.6% in 2023 and higher than the average in Indiana (14.6%) and nationally (14.7%). Rachel Blakeman of Purdue Fort Wayne’s Community Research Institute tells WANE 15: “It should be concerning to see poverty rates for children going up when jobs remain plentiful…. If you want a job, you can likely find one, but that doesn’t mean it pays enough to support a family.” 
• Northwest Allen County Schools (NACS) became the fourth and final county school district to start a nonprofit foundation. Now, all four Allen County districts have foundations that raise private funds for the district. Last fall, NACS district voters turned down a referendum, which would have raised property taxes for homeowners within the school district to boost school funding. Since the 1980s, nonprofit school foundations have emerged to fill funding gaps left by lost public revenue. But nationally, these foundations have widened the gap between wealthy districts and disadvantaged ones. NACS and other local districts tell WANE 15 they hope their foundations “build community” and “foster belonging.”

What’s happening?

In February, we’re partnering with Banh Mi Pho Shop on Fairfield to bring all paid subscribers to The Local a FREE boba tea drink with the purchase of any food item ($5 or more). If you haven’t been to Banh Mi recently, they’re one of our personal favorites at The Local. (Read our full story on them here.) 

Here are a few quick things to know:

• Pho and banh mi sandwiches are their staples. In this cold weather, a warm bowl of pho is a tasty alternative to standard chicken noodle soup. And we can’t say enough about the namesake banh mi Vietnamese street sandwiches on house-made bread that’s soft with a crispy crust.
• Look for new eats on the streets this spring! “We have a new food truck coming out in the springtime: Sweet Treats and Hot Eats by Banh Mi (our dessert and more truck),” says owner Thao Nguyen. We’ve long been fans of their Korean corndogs and can’t wait to see what other treats are in store.
• Don’t forget the ramen and bobas! Two of our favorites lately are the beef ramen with house-made chili paste, paired with a sweet and refreshing avocado boba, perfect for spring. We recommend it blended with tapioca.

• Honor: Rosa Parks’s legacy on her birthday, Feb. 4, from 11-12:30 p.m., at The Forum at Electric Works, where Citilink is celebrating Transit Equity Day, featuring a Rosa Parks bus and impersonator. 
• Learn: about Civic Literacy at a free public event hosted by the League of Women Voters on Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Purdue Fort Wayne’s Walb Student Union, Room 222-226. Speakers from the Democratic and Republican parties will discuss campaigning, voting processes and voting centers with time for public questions.
• Watch: free screenings of the docuseries, “The Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation,” at Cinema Center on Wednesdays in February, starting Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. The weekly episodes are hosted by Fort Wayne’s Metropolitan Human Relations Commission and Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services as part of their February Fair Housing Series to mark Black History Month. (Reserve free seats here.)
• Attend: a group show by four artists from Studio Vwazen, exhibiting at Fancy & Staple on Feb. 6, as part of First Fridays on Broadway.
• Sip: and stroll through the Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s studio glass collection at Wine by the Glass on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m.
• Donate: to Cinema Center’s blood drive (with American Red Cross) at screenings of the new horror film “Iron Lung” (which uses a record-breaking amount of fake blood).  Everyone who schedules an appointment and donates receives free popcorn, a movie poster and a free month of Cinema Center membership. 

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Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett