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blinker12
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Santorini on W 9th has closed.

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oh no!  On yelp it says:

 

"Santorini Greek Taverna is temporarily closed. Scheduled to reopen on January 1, 2017."

oh no!  On yelp it says:

 

"Santorini Greek Taverna is temporarily closed. Scheduled to reopen on January 1, 2017."

 

We shall see!

Santorini Owner to Launch Late-Night Diner Concept in Warehouse District Space

We were sad to learn earlier this week that Tommy Karakostas had shuttered his contemporary Greek restaurant Santorini, but the good news is that he is not going anywhere. Instead, he is rebranding the space and will reopen it within a few weeks.

 

“It lasted almost two years,” says Karakostas, who also operates the popular Greek Village eateries. “I take a lot of pride and responsibility in all my places. Maybe the prices were too high, maybe people weren’t used to that type of Greek cuisine because it was a little out of the ordinary from what people are used to here. But whatever the reason, it just didn’t make it and I had to make the tough decision to shut it down.”

 

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2016/11/17/santorini-owner-to-launch-late-night-diner-concept-in-warehouse-district-space

Santorini will become a Greek-American style diner that will run 24 hours on the weekends.  That's great news and sorely needed downtown. I wish it were 24/7, but i'll take the weekends for now.

Fat Head's is doubling size of Middleburg Heights spot

November 13, 2016 Updated 2 days ago

By Jay Miller

 

Fat Head's Brewing, the craft beer maker that started life as a saloon on Pittsburgh's South Side but took off commercially after it started making beer in Middleburg Heights, is growing again.

 

It's planning a new central brewery on Engle Lake Road, in sight of Interstate 71 near the Bagley Road interchange, that will more than double its brewing capacity. The $11.4 million project includes a packaging operation that will allow the brewery, for the first time, to put its beer in cans. The building also will include a 250-seat full-service tap house/restaurant.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20161113/NEWS/161119939/fat-heads-is-doubling-size-of-middleburg-heights-spot

Fears of a downtown Cleveland restaurant bubble

And could that bubble burst?

Derick Waller

6:30 PM, Nov 17, 2016

 

CLEVELAND - Downtown Cleveland’s cutthroat restaurant scene has claimed another victim, even as more restaurants plan openings.

 

Tommy Karakostas closed Santorini Greek Taverna on West 9th Street after about two years in business. He said sales were too slow and said not enough people live downtown.

 

“You make money from you regulars, well if we’re depending on that with all these businesses that keep opening up, there’s not enough regulars here,” he said.

 

MORE:

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/fears-of-a-downtown-cleveland-restaurant-bubble

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 2 weeks later...

Flats East Bank poised to bring three new tenants to former Crop spaces (photos)

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If all goes according to plan, Akron-based Thirsty Dog Brewing and two concepts developed by Cleveland chef Dante Boccuzzi and restaurateur Rick Doody will move into the former Crop entertainment complex at the Flats East Bank.

 

On Thursday, a city design-review committee is scheduled to examine plans for the businesses, which would each take a space in the three-venue complex that housed Crop Sticks, Crop Rocks and On Air.

 

In August, the Crop complex announced that it would close in September - barely a year after it had opened. Initially seen as an anchor for the Flats East Bank, the hulking space proved to be too big for a single operator.

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/11/flats_east_bank_poised_to_brin.html#incart_river_home

If Doody, who - as Bravo founder - knows a thing or two about opening successful restaurants/locations (as well as knowing how Coastal Taco is doing 6 months in) is ready so soon to dip a toe back in the FEB water, then it would appear business prospects must, in his mind, be pretty good and that Coastal must be doing well. I'd say, rumors of/actual closings aside, that is pretty strong validation of the area...

 

Also, surprising how quickly these spots filled... as though they had an earlier heads up on Crop's (x3) issues...

Cleveland area melt bar and Grilled Will be expanding their wings again to another city this time to the Dayton area

Update on Yours Truly at the Halle Building: They were holding interviews for staff positions today and the paper covering the windows has come down. I snapped these tonight-

 

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Fears of a downtown Cleveland restaurant bubble

And could that bubble burst?

Derick Waller

6:30 PM, Nov 17, 2016

 

CLEVELAND - Downtown Cleveland’s cutthroat restaurant scene has claimed another victim, even as more restaurants plan openings.

 

Tommy Karakostas closed Santorini Greek Taverna on West 9th Street after about two years in business. He said sales were too slow and said not enough people live downtown.

 

“You make money from you regulars, well if we’re depending on that with all these businesses that keep opening up, there’s not enough regulars here,” he said.

 

MORE:

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/fears-of-a-downtown-cleveland-restaurant-bubble

 

Sort of tangential to conversation, but doesn't the City of Cleveland have a fixed number of liquor licenses (i.e. if you want to open an establishment with a liquor license, you have to buy one from another bar in the city with one that is closing..)?

 

While the locations of licenses may have concentrated in certain areas. (I know Old Brooklyn has ~1/2 of the bars now that it once did in the mid/early 1990s from growing up there), the overall cap likely prevents an overall glut.

Just saw from a buddy's Facebook post that someone drove through the front window of Banter Beer and Wine tonight. That place just opened a couple months ago.

Banterbl just had their one year anniversary.  They hve boarded up the front window and will be slinging poutine today.  Really bad wreck Though

Banterbl just had their one year anniversary.  They hve boarded up the front window and will be slinging poutine today.  Really bad wreck Though

 

That poutine is wondrous too.  Hope the accident doesn't affect business for them too much.

Banterbl just had their one year anniversary.  They hve boarded up the front window and will be slinging poutine today.  Really bad wreck Though

 

One year, good for them. For some reason I thought it had been only a couple months. Time flies!

Jenny Spencer ‏@jennyspencercle  22m22 minutes ago

.@DetroitShoreway staff's first visit to @AstoriaCle in @GordonSquare. Gorgeous Transforms Detroit Ave. Come visit and eat!

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

Mark Wahlberg’s Wahlburgers restaurant to open across from Cleveland casino

 

The burger chain founded by the Wahlberg brothers will be moving in across from JACK Casino in downtown Cleveland.

 

JACK Entertainment announced the partnership with Wahlburgers on Tuesday. This will be the burger joint's first location in Ohio. It's slated to open in early spring 2017.

.

.

.

The restaurant will move into a 5,200 square-foot space at the corner of Prospect and Ontario streets.

 

http://fox8.com/2016/12/13/mark-wahlbergs-wahlburgers-restaurant-to-open-across-from-cleveland-casino/

EDIT:  Never mind, answered by Clefan98's article.

First look: Chicago's Home of Chicken & Waffles opens in Cleveland (photos)

 

By John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Email the author | Follow on Twitter

on December 23, 2016 at 11:11 AM, updated December 23, 2016 at 12:24 PM

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "It's like yin and yang," says Tonya Johnson, as she surveys her just-opened Chicago's Home of Chicken & Waffles.

 

She isn't trying to be philosophical about her new restaurant-bar, which brings Southern comfort food to downtown Cleveland. She's talking about the plate, of course.

 

"See, you have the sweet -- the pancakes -- paired with the salty, the chicken," she says, pointing at the plate. "It might seem like an odd combo to some, but if you try it you will love it."

 

That's the bet.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/12/first_look_chicagos_home_of_ch.html

^Author is probably blinded the stupid name.

Nothing says "southern" like Chicago! :)

^I hope the Chicago name doesn't put too many people off, although I understand some consternation about it.  It sounds like a nice place on a kinda dead strip.  It's the work of a hard-working Chicago couple who really believe in downtown Cleveland and are taking a risk/chance in investing here, so I hope folks can get over the name and give the place a chance... At least the food looks good in the photo.

^I hope the Chicago name doesn't put too many people off, although I understand some consternation about it.  It sounds like a nice place on a kinda dead strip.  It's the work of a hard-working Chicago couple who really believe in downtown Cleveland and are taking a risk/chance in investing here, so I hope folks can get over the name and give the place a chance... At least the food looks good in the photo.

I guess I don't get the issue with the name? I mean, as long as a restaurant isn't called Garbage: A trashcan eatery, I don't really consider the name of it at all.

It was a little humor. Hence the :). Gotta love UO sometimes!

It was a little humor. Hence the :). Gotta love UO sometimes!

 

I got you weren't being serious.  My arrow was misleading, as I wasn't really responding to you.

^I hope the Chicago name doesn't put too many people off, although I understand some consternation about it.  It sounds like a nice place on a kinda dead strip.  It's the work of a hard-working Chicago couple who really believe in downtown Cleveland and are taking a risk/chance in investing here, so I hope folks can get over the name and give the place a chance... At least the food looks good in the photo.

I guess I don't get the issue with the name? I mean, as long as a restaurant isn't called Garbage: A trashcan eatery, I don't really consider the name of it at all.

 

Chef: Oscar the Grouch.

I lived in the building next door for a while, that place will always be Rathskeller (version 2.0) to me. They'd let you smoke in there as long as you'd ash in the empty rocks glasses on the bar.

Stuff happening on Lorain:

 

Bonbon is closing this Saturday.

Also an altercation at Plum. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/12/fatal_shooting_on_clevelands_w.html#incart_river_home_pop

 

It's not closing for long....

 

Ohio City’s Bonbon Pastry to Become Aladdin’s Eatery Spinoff Boaz Café

 

 

Courtney Bonning has sold Bonbon Pastry & Cafe, her five-year-old Ohio City business, to Fady Chamoun of Aladdin's Eatery. Bonbon will close its doors after New Year’s Eve and Chamoun will reopen the space as Boaz Café by Aladdin’s Eatery as quickly as the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th of the year, depending on what needs to be done.

 

“I am a big supporter of Cleveland neighborhoods,” Chamoun says. “I’ve wanted to do something closer to downtown for a while.”

 

The menu at Boaz Café will look familiar to fans of Aladdin’s Eatery, but it will be more narrowly focused around a core selection of fresh, fast and healthy Middle Eastern eats, he notes. The all or largely organic menu will have hummus, baba, tabouli, fattoush, falafel and shawarma sandwiches. There also will be fresh fruit juices and smoothies. Down the line, grab-and go items like salads, spreads and sandwiches might be added.

 

 

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2016/12/26/ohio-citys-bonbon-pastry-to-become-aladdins-eatery-spinoff-boaz-cafe

^ Good news, Thanks. I do enjoy Aladdins but no breakfast is a bummer, maybe they can expand in the future with simple Eastern Mediterranean breakfast options. I didn't frequent BonBon but remember their croissant being above average.

Yours Truly at the Halle Building opened up today. It's a pretty cool space. They are open 3-10pm on Tuesday and go to normal hours starting Wednesday.

 

As the ramifications of a possible $15/hr min wage affect the restaurant industry, I will repost my response to someone in the Cincinnati Restaurant thread expressing his confusion over the fast casual places with counter service that seem to be opening all over the country: 

 

Has anyone been to Maplewood kitchen & bar yet? We went Monday and it was slammed. This place was freakin delicious. Def going back!

 

I've been.  The space is really nice, tall and clean, white with marble tops, and I love that the self-serve water has a plain soda water tap, which is what I always drink, and the food was great.  I just didn't like paying up front when you order.  Are you supposed to leave a tip? there is a line on the receipt for tip, but there is basically no service.  I don't get it.

 

I responded:

 

This is like most fast casual places that are sweeping the country. You place your order and get a number and they bring it out to you. I work in the food industry in Los Angeles, and as the minimum wage pushes $15 an hour, this is the direction most new restaurants are going. The mid-tier casual "fine" dining restaurants aren't going to be able to afford to pay their bills, and are getting squeezed out. As the Director of Operations for a restaurant group told me the other day, the restaurant landscape in LA is going to change drastically in the next 5 years.  True, professional table service with polished servers will only be available at top tier, i.e. expensive restaurants. The $15/hr minimum wage is actually going to eliminate the very jobs the people it was supposed to help have now. McDonald's is going to go to an all touch screen system with no counter employees.

As far as tipping, I tip 20-25% for good service at a sit-down restaurant. At the fast casual places with a tip line on the receipt, I tip a buck or two depending on the size of my order.

My only problem with the tip on the receipt is the same that I have at Starbucks--you're asking me to tip you before I've even received the food and service.    The tip should come after the experience, not before it.

^ yeah, i agree. i hate that pre-service tip thing on the receipt at coffeeshops. just leave the tip jar as it is.

 

also, i thought the $15/hr was also being phased in to remove the tip issue? what are you supposed to do about tipping with these new half-service at best fast casual places? i dk.

^ yeah, i agree. i hate that pre-service tip thing on the receipt at coffeeshops. just leave the tip jar as it is.

 

also, i thought the $15/hr was also being phased in to remove the tip issue? what are you supposed to do about tipping with these new half-service at best fast casual places? i dk.

 

In some states, yes, tipped servers will get a smaller minimum wage. In other states, California being one of them, the minimum wage for tipped employees is the same as non tipped. The state legislature didn't make an exception, although the restaurant industry lobbyists did their best to convince the legislature otherwise. This is why the owners and operators of mid level full-service restaurants here in CA are so concerned. They are probably going to have to change their service style and business model.

  • 2 weeks later...

 

Porchelli (sp?) bistro on east 6th closed around new years.

 

Porchelli (sp?) bistro on east 6th closed around new years.

 

They will re-open.  The space is being remodeled by K&D

^Isn't there already a coffee place there?

Put me in the vault with 10 ribeyes and 30 lobster tails and check on me in 3 days.

 

Sneak Peek: Marble Room Steak and Raw Bar set to open in Cleveland's historic Garfield Building

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Solid marble staircases, chandeliers, rows of floor-to-ceiling pillars and a below-ground bank vault. This spring, downtown's forthcoming Marble Room Steak and Raw Bar, 623 Euclid Ave., will open the doors to one of the most ambitious dining ventures in the city.

 

The historic Garfield Building at the corner of Euclid Ave. and East 6th St., a sprawling space that hovers around 10,000-square-feet, was formerly home to a National City Bank. Now in the hands of Frank and Malisse Sinito, who also own Valley View's LockKeepers, the lobby is undergoing a transformation into an upscale dining destination.

 

A steak-and-seafood concept, Marble Room's menu will be split almost evenly between both offerings. That menu will be helmed by Alberto Leandri, who currently serves as executive chef of LockKeepers.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/01/marble_room_steak_and_raw_bar.html#incart_gallery

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