When I visited Fort Wayne, Indiana, I discovered many surprises, including one of the most famous genealogical centers in the world, to a vibrant arts scene and thriving restaurant scene. Among the restaurants I visited was Mercado, owned by Johnny Perez, who has a finger on the pulse of the city’s burgeoning culinary scene. I was happy to have Johnny join me for a discussion on the Real Food Traveler Podcast.

Save this podcast article to Pinterest so you can listen to our conversation with Johnny Perez anytime. Photos right, courtesy of Johnny Perez. Photos left, by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

Hungry for more? Get our list of 7 Surprising Things to Discover in Fort Wayne.

Click on the player below to hear our conservation and to get insight into what you can expect from the dining scene in Fort Wayne.

Chef/Owner Johnny Perez, our guest on the Real Food Traveler Podcast.

Johnny’s restaurants are under the parent company of Te Gustó Hospitality and include Mercado (restaurant and Mercadito food truck) and, next door, Papi’s Pizza. In the works, he has Spoke + Ivy, a new-American restaurant and Ducky’s, a duckpin bowling/elevated sports bar concept.

Having been in the restaurant business since he was 14-years-old, and working in other independent restaurants in Fort Wayne, Johnny had reached a point in his career where he wanted to push the envelope. Around 2019, he told his wife “I like to work in restaurants, but maybe the next step is to kind of do our own thing.” That’s when they started the food truck and then the brick-and-mortar restaurant in The Landing, a mixed-use revitalization project in downtown Fort Wayne, that includes several restaurants.

Johnny goes on to explain that their inspiration is to build restaurants that he and his family want to eat at.

“I keep thinking – every family has different generations, and all want different places to enjoy a meal. How can we build concepts around that, especially with Fort Wayne being so family-centric? We want places that can be a date night but still push the envelope in flavor. And the idea of a place that your kids can be a little bit loud at and not really feel ashamed of them being around.

“That has really built our branding – places you want to eat at and not just take pictures at,” he continues.

Johnny then divulges some of his personal favorite places to eat in Fort Worth and also makes recommendations for things to do when visiting.

Enjoy our conversation with Johnny about the Fort Wayne food scene and the life of a chef and restaurateur in our podcast which is available right here on Real Food Traveler as well as on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, PocketCasts and other places you stream your favorite podcasts.

Follow Johnny’s restaurants on social media: 
Mercado on Facebook and Instagram
Mercadito Food Truck on Facebook and X
Papi’s Pizza on Instagram
Spoke + Ivy on Instagram
Ducky’s on Instagram

-Article by Courtney Drake-McDonough, publisher and managing editor of RealFoodTraveler.com. Photos courtesy of Johnny Perez.

Hungry for more? Get the recipe for Indiana’s authentic Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich.