The Pit Stop
If you’ve ever driven down 38th Street and College Avenue and wondered what’s going on with all the colorful character murals coming to life on both sides of the road, now is the chance to check it out.
Across the street from The Toy Pit, the premier toy store made famous by the huge murals of pop-culture characters on its exterior walls, stands its new little sister, The Pit Stop, a bright pink snack and collectible shop with more colorful art and spaces for the community to hang out.
Mike Schott, the owner of The Toy Pit, always wanted to operate a candy and snack shop for the community, so when the building across the street from his store became available, he decided to seize the opportunity.
“The toy shop’s the vehicle that allows all this to happen,” Schott says. “It’s kind of like a community space disguised as a toy shop.”
The Pit Stop officially opened its doors the weekend of April 25, 2026, with plenty of candy, snacks and collectibles. As you walk in, you are greeted by a warm and colorful atmosphere with your pick of treats like popcorn or shaved ice, and a cozy hangout area decked out with a bright orange couch and décor matching the pink mural across the wall showcasing many fan-favorite cartoon characters.
Outside, around the back of The Pit Stop, rides popular graphic novel character Ramona Flowers on her rollerblades. Below are outdoor tables and chairs next to a basketball court open for anyone and everyone to enjoy. A new wooden stage complements the hangout spot, ready for local artists to perform at a moment’s notice.
“I love what we were able to do with it in the transformation, and I love that it is going to really be cool,” Schott says. “We can use that space as a community space to bring more life and positive energy to the corner and to make it a fun and lively place for the community and for our neighborhood. It’s a really cool business because it’s such a diverse business too. You get such a mix of anybody you can think of. That building is another place where it represents that diversity. Even the characters on the mural and the art on the walls have something representing everybody.”
Much like its big brother, The Toy Pit, Schott has worked with many local artists to produce the murals that give The Pit Stop its character. The pink character mural inside was painted by local artist Fitz, while Ramona Flowers in the back was designed by store manager Kathryn Schomer and painted by local artist Kwazar Martin, who painted many of the murals around The Toy Pit. Other local artists contributed to the store as well, including the front window clings designed by KNags and the Tom and Jerry mural inside designed by Nitty.
“The neighborhood has been super great, and honestly, it’s probably the best neighborhood I could think to be in for how much they’ve embraced what we do here,” Schott says. “If there are local vendors or anybody that we can work with
in any way, we will.”
Schott has many events he plans to host at The Pit Stop this summer, including Pokémon card trade events, a Sofar Sounds live music show, live comedy and art shows, video game nights with a big screen outside, drag shows, food trucks and an event where kids get to paint the new fence that surrounds the property.
“You can chill in the summer, have a shaved ice, hang out back. I hope to get some food trucks out throughout the summer. Then we’ll have food trucks, events, shaved ice, gaming night on the huge screen like Smash Bros., Toy Pit and pinball. You can go to the food truck out front and make it a party,” Schott says. “Have someone DJ while it’s happening. You could just go crazy with the corner.”
The Pit Stop is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 to 6 p.m.
The shop is located at 3840 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46205. For more information, visit pitstopindy.com. To stay updated on everything going on there, follow its Instagram page @thepitstopindy.
