After nearly 50 years in downtown Bloomington, Greek restaurant and bar The Trojan Horse will be moving to Ellettsville this summer.
Co-owner Kristen Shelley said relocating to the former Wee Willies location was motivated by a desire to expand and become more accessible to families and people with mobility issues. She and her husband, co-owner Michael Shelley, also live in Ellettsville.
“I feel like we'll be welcomed, and that we'll be able to provide more access for people who might not travel around as much or live farther out,” Shelley said.
Shelley grew up in Bloomington and has fond memories of eating at The Trojan Horse in high school and college. The couple bought the restaurant in 2018, in part to move closer to family.
Before it moved to the courthouse square in 1978, The Trojan Horse’s predecessor Zeus’ Gyros operated further east on Kirkwood.
Its current location is recognizable by its nautical décor: a heavy front door with a chain handle, a fish tank and a narrow galley-like dining floor with dark wooden booths. They’re a legacy of the building’s past as a seafood restaurant called The Brigantine.
“It's a really great building, we've really enjoyed being in this space and being part of the downtown community,” Shelley said. “However, we'd like to be around for another 40 years-plus, and we really think that moving into a more spacious area would give us a better opportunity to serve the community's needs.”
Shelley wants to preserve as much of the restaurant’s historic vibe as she can at the new location.
“We're gonna take a lot of this stuff and rearrange it so that hopefully people will still feel like they're having some of the stuff that made them feel like it was Trojan,” she said.
The restaurant hopes to complete the move in August.
