AN EXCHANGE
OF FAITH
Several years ago,
Ian Hall was a
fedgling restaurateur
struggling to pay his
bills and nearly ready
to walk away from
the industry. Today,
he owns the most
popular restaurant in
New Albany, thanks
to hard work and a
bit of help.
By Angie Fenton
Photographs by Tony Bennett
eated at a table constructed
from 140-year-old wood, Ian Hall
recounted some of his earliest
childhood memories. "My dad
oversaw food and beverages in the
Hyatt Regency, and I remember
rolling silverware and eating French onion soup
and escargot. I kind of grew up in the (hospitality
industry)," said the successful restaurateur.
Today, Hall is owner of Te Exchange Pub +
Kitchen in New Albany, an incredibly popular
gastropub housed in a historic building originally
built in 1875, and is embarking on other ventures
that, if his track record is any indication, will enhance
the local scene for years to come.
Hall got his start in the industry by working for his
father at Standard Country Club. He started bussing
tables and washing dishes at Buckhead Moutain Grill
when he was 18. His resume also includes working
at the now-defunct Have A Nice Day Café, Rocky's
Sub Pub and, eventually, Legends at Horseshoe
Southern Indiana when it was Caesars. "During that
time, I was traveling a lot competing in bartending
competitions," Hall said. "I started saving some
money along the way, and I guess I decided after
seven years that I'd had enough of the corporate side
of our business. … It just wasn't my ft. So, I decided
if I was going to stay in the business I would try to do
it for myself."
EXPERIENCE
25