La Dulce Chocolate
The new sweet shop La Dulce Chocolate opened in Bloomington on Aug. 22 at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and South Indiana Avenue, at the former site of Mr. Tokyo. La Dulce Chocolate sells the TikTok-viral Dubai chocolate strawberry cups — made of chocolate, pistachio cream and a toasted, shredded phyllo dough called kataifi — as well as cheesecake, waffles and chocolate bars.
For a unique pre-game treat, try checking out the Labubu Dubai chocolate bar. It has all the same ingredients as a regular Dubai chocolate bar, but is molded into the shape of a Labubu, a popular monster-esque toy.
Hoosier Alley Entertianment
Bowling and laser tag, axe throwing and roller skating. Bumper cars. These attractions, plus an arcade, make up the new Hoosier Alley Entertainment, which opened in September at 2424 S. Walnut St.
The axe-throwing section has various challenges, from classic bullseye tests of accuracy to a duck-hunting simulation. In addition to the activities, Hoosier Alley boasts a restaurant and bar which offers tacos, pizzas and desserts.
Spudshacks
Spudshacks, a new restaurant specializing in stuffed baked potatoes, opened at the beginning of August at 224 N. College Ave. Erol and Elena Sinan brought their homestyle Turkish fast food to Bloomington, providing customers with the opportunity to add toppings to the typical base of potato, butter, sour cream, green onions and cheese.
Gables Bagels
New York-style bagel shop Gables Bagels opened a new location inside POSH Boutique Hotel in early September 2025. The hotel is located at 200 E. Kirkwood Ave. near the CVS Pharmacy.
Gables Bagels sells bagels, sandwiches and schmears with flavors like maple bacon habanero, strawberry and vegan chive. One of their noteworthy items is the rainbow bagel, which is a plain bagel made of dough colored red, blue and yellow.
Dave & Buster’s
Hoosier Alley Entertainment isn’t the only recent arrival to Bloomington’s extracurricular entertainment scene. Dave & Buster’s, a national arcade and restaurant chain, opened its third Indiana location in Bloomington on Jan. 27.
Bloomington Chocolate Company
The Bloomington Chocolate Company opened a new location downtown, near the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, in early March. The sweet shop sells truffles, chocolate bars and novelty desserts like chocolate-covered Double Stuf Oreos.
The other location is near College Mall, at 2534 E. Third St., inside The Olive Leaf.
Smoothie King
National franchise Smoothie King opened a location in Bloomington on Nov. 5, 2024, so there’s a new place for fans to get their smoothies since last Homecoming weekend. Smoothie King offers customizable smoothies that are free of ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup and soy derivatives, as well as smoothie bowls. The Bloomington Smoothie King is located in The Shoppes at 925 S. College Mall Road.
Lan Ramen & Aqua Tea
While Lan Ramen & Aqua Tea might not be new to Bloomington, its location at 217 W. Sixth St. is, the restaurant having taken over the former site of Brilliant Coffee Company and Nourish. The Herald-Times reported that the ramen restaurant moved into its current digs on Aug. 28, so if you want some ramen near the square before or after the game, check them out.
