The Oven is expanding to Cannelton, Indiana, this week, marking a homecoming for owner James Harlan and a new chapter for the popular Owensboro-based pizza and comfort food restaurant.
Harlan, who was born and raised in Perry County, said the decision to open a second location was rooted in both personal ties and public demand.
“I’ve been gone for about 14 years, and this gives me a chance to catch up with old friends and family,” Harlan said. “We’ve had customers from Tell City and Perry County driving to Owensboro just to eat with us. They’ve been begging us to open something closer.”
The new location, which sits at 134 South 6th Street in Cannelton, has been home to several restaurants, including Miss Main’s Covered Wagon and Mario’s Pizza. Harlan said the space — which includes a stage, dance floor, and significantly more seating — seemed like a perfect fit.
“This place is humongous. It seats somewhere between 150 and 175 people,” Harlan said. “Compared to our 30 to 35 seats in Owensboro, it’s going to be a whole different vibe.”
The Cannelton location will feature an expanded menu, including burgers, fries, and onion rings, which aren’t currently served at the Owensboro store.
Live entertainment will also be part of the experience.
“We’re planning to do some nightlife with dancing and live music,” Harlan said. “It’ll be something different for me.”
The restaurant is targeting a soft opening as early as Monday. Harlan said most of the equipment was already in place, so they’ve spent the past week cleaning and adding some of their own items to get the space ready.
The Oven’s location at 1012 East 4th Street in Owensboro will remain open. Harlan and his wife, Shelley, plan to operate both for now and eventually hire managers to oversee each one.
“We’ve been staying afloat since we opened in 2018. We had some rough patches, but we’re doing pretty good,” Harlan said. “We’re just excited to get started over there.”
