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columbuschefs.com Dispatch Illustration Splat Every year, restaurants come and go. These were the ones that fell flat in 2003 Saturday, January 31, 2004 Doral Chenoweth Columbus: A laboratory to study restaurant failures Who counts restaurant flops? Who keeps statistics on openings and closings? The Dispatch’s compilation is very unscientific. A day-to-day count is obtained from readers spotting a locked down operation. It is rare when a restaurateur calls to say he is locking down. Our most reliable sources include bankruptcy records, auctioneers, liquor department findings, and sometimes the police reports. In 2003 The Dispatch list tallied less than 100. The better known closings follow. Columbus is a major restaurant city when it comes to being a fast food test market and ranks near the top with a ratio of national chains per capita. It should come as no surprise that our city has provided case studies when it comes to academia looking into why restaurants close. Ohio State University’s hospitality department not only keeps the numbers on closings, but uses them as a study course. So, too, does the University of South Carolina. To reduce their studies defining one major reason for failure, the word bankruptcy tops all studies. The South Carolina data comes from the statistical database of Dun & Bradstreet. Dr. H. G. Parsa, associate professor of the OSU hospitality management department, uses the nitty-gritty, closer-to-the-bone data supplied by Columbus Health Department. The list supplied by Dr. Parsa reflects public records of “failures in 2003.” However, he explains that some of the 152 “simply changed ownerships.” Dr. Parsa did not count non-restaurant food service businesses such as day care centers or convenience stores. The Dispatch list is further refined to include better known names now out of business. • The major 2003 closings: Cafe Rigsby closed on Jan. 14 after 14 months of trying to make it in old New Albany. Owner Kent Rigsby with 12 investors including the strip center's landlord, New Albany Co., was unable to transfer any of his Short North success where he owns the highly acclaimed Rigsby’s Cuisine Volatile. Casa di Pasta, a decades-old Italian eatery in a converted house at 2321 N. High St., was sold by owner Stella Chapin to an Indian operator, Sushil Malhotra. It has reopened as Delhi Dunbar. Hearth & Eagle, a fading bar with food at 7800 Olentangy River Rd., closed in March after 28 years. A bankruptcy filing by the owners of record, the TTM Restaurateurs, Inc., was made on March 10, 2002 which contributed to the closing. The address is now a Rusty Bucket.  Red Robin, a glorified hamburger operation with a bar and kiddie attractions, closed March 3 at 7520 High Cross Blvd., with the franchise operator, Bill Oldershaw, blaming Crosswoods as a “depressed area.” He said his opening investment was $3 million. Court records later revealed that other problems existed, one of them the $30,000 monthly rent being paid for building and land lease. A Chinese buffet now occupies the building. Romano’s Macaroni Grill, 245 E. Campus View Dr., Crosswoods, closed Feb. 24. Brinker Inc., people said “the store did not meet sales expectations.” Royal Chinese Buffet, 4352 E. Broad St., Whitehall, was the quickest shut down of the year. County health department inspectors did the deed when they arrived to find people getting sick immediately after loading up at the buffet line, then heading for the rest rooms. Also noted, the place did not have a food-service permit. The place has since reopened with a different name and operator. Thurn’s Bakery & Deli, became history after a century at 541 S. 3rd St., German Village. Owner Will Plank, who said he wanted to handle his other business, Plank’s Bier Garten, also in German Village, has since sold to a real estate investor who intends to lease only to people who will reprise the food service. Town Addiction, 363 E. Town St., lasted three years as a hip urban restaurant noted for arty decor, excellent pastries and sandwiches, favorable reviews, but difficult financial burdens. When closed the owners had mounting debts to banks, the landlord, purveyors and the tax man. • Slow timed closings: Black & Blue, the attempt at fine dining in the corner of Nationwide Arena, died officially Sept. 12 after an erratic run of periodic seasonal closings determined by when the Blue Jackets played. Market insiders blamed the total lack of marketing to the general public and menu and wine pricing. Frezno Eclectic Kitchen, 782 N. High St., had a good run for years, closed in September when owners Kevin and Lori Ames announced the place had been sold.The Ames duo once owned Dagwoodz and Press Grill in the Short North.  Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Grill, 100 Hutchinson Ave., Crosswoods, closed in May without notice. Signage was ripped away over night. The place opened in 1994 with Clark presiding. He did not attend the closing. The property is now Winking Lizard, a Cleveland-based bar-eatery. A postscript to the closing: The family of a man who died Dec. 2, 2001, sued the operation contending a bouncer caused his death. It has yet to be resolved. Colonel Crawford Inn, the city’s least known period restaurant in Ohio Village, 1982 Velma Dr., set in a recreated 1860s village. Food has always been marginal; access always difficult since guests had to go through Ohio Historical Society to make a reservation. Final closing announced in January. PiatZa Market, intended since 1998 to be Italian fusion at 4034 Presidential Parkway, closed in November without notice. Seasons, a fashionable tearoom in old Hilliard, has been closed periodically throughout 2003. Final curtain came in December when the owner announced plans to sell.
• Big old names, but fading in numbers: Cooker Bar & Grille, in October closed at 8360 N. High St., and has four remaining around the city. Two Chi-Chi’s, the original at 2200 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., and 5105 Post Rd., Dublin, closed in October. Both sites put up for sale. The Cattle Club, Reynoldsburg, locked down and both restaurant and site go up for auction in February. • Quickies: Marshall’s Restaurant, 35 N. Liberty St., Powell, shut down sans notice after about six months. The Blue Plate, 3610 S. High St., owner Greg Tweed’s flirtation with country comfort grub, locked down one night and the place reopened in the morning as a Tex-Mex venture. Rhino’s Chop House, 1985 Hard Rd., faded in February after a brief attempt to pump new life in a location that had been Neighbors, a long running gathering place with sanitation problems. The rehabbed building today is an Old Bag of Nails with new plumbing. In January we lost Mill Street Bagels & Deli at 3296 N. High St. One remains at 1284 W. 5th Ave., the last evidence of the 1990s bagel chain invasion that brought in five chain names to Columbus. Fratello’s Restaurant, 5617 N. High St., quit abruptly two days after New Year’s Day in a location that had been Guido’s - La Cucina Italiana. Cafe Java, open two years in old Pickerington, closed as a luncheon spot for lack of business. Willy’s BBQ, 80 W. Granville St., New Albany; closed May 27; served hickory smoked barbeque from a converted Dairy Queen. Chloe’s Deli lasted less than a year at 31 E. Gay St., and for good reason. Owner Nathan Zukowitz said he was broken into three times in a matter of weeks. Cameron Mitchell Bakery, the offshoot of Tapatio Bakery in North Market, closed in March after four months. The facility was unable to produce sufficient quantity to serve Mitchell’s 13 Columbus restaurants. Janina’s Grille, corner of Sawmill and Powell roads, lasted just a few weeks in a location once billed as Manhattan Cafe and White House Bistro.  Diners, that million-buck repro at 575 S. Front St., quit cooking Dec. 14 and is currently being moved to an undisclosed site in Delaware County. Maggie Moo’s, 2899 N. High St., closed Nov. 30 by owner Dave Blackmore. Site to be reprised as an ice cream parlor under different name and ownership. • Name game blame: Almost a year to the day, Out On Faith Specialty House, 1613--15 E. Main St., closed as a soul food drive through. Market types say the vague name did not fit a restaurant venture. • Good news closing: Spiro’s Restaurant & Bar, 17 years a family Greek bar with comfort grub, closed for what amounts to urban renewal in San Margherita. The joint sat in middle of where Trabue road and McKinley avenue wanted to be. It was known as the Shack by the Track. Co-owner Vickie Papadimitriou did the right thing. She moved taps, tunes and menu across the Scioto to 3140 Riverside Dr., a location best recalled as Ziggy’s Continental. • Successful switch: Gibby’s Riverview, 6125 Riverside Dr., there since 1997 with a menu of wings, closed for one day March 14 and reopened the next with a slight name change to The Riverview. Jeff Bentley took over as chef with management being handled by Steve Gifford and Jack Cory. • The "Huh?" kinda closing: In April after 12 years Ryan’s Family Steakhouse, 3635 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., closed with announced intentions to reopen under the same ownership, but with a more selly name: Fire Mountain Hot Off the Grill. • North Market departures: Cookie Creations and Smokin (cq) Joe’s Ribs. • Closings that escaped public notice: Burger King, 7702 Sawmill Rd., Olde Sawmill Square, after a notice was posted on the drive-through window reading “This chattel is now the property of the sheriff...” Road House Annie’s, 895 N. High St., while closed in late spring with the telephone ringing, finally became a disconnect in early winter. Henry’s On High, 346 S. High St., was a comfort food spot where a boiler maker was the beverage of choice. After some difficulties with the liquor permits, that name was changed briefly to Casablanca. Briefly there means a few weeks of life. As Henry’s, the operator was cited April 16, 2003 by the liquor commission for having unsanitary premises, “to wit debris in liquor bottles.” Howl at the Moon, 450 S. Front St., a sing-along piano bar since 1994, went silent when piano players walked in a dispute with management. Smokey Bones BBQ, the city’s first at 1755 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., closed Dec. 30 in a spot originally a Red Lobster, later ever so briefly a China Coast. Rumble has it that Smokey wanted to move its followers to a new Smokey along Polaris parkway. Jillian’s, 477 N. High St., sold out, closed and the space went to Brothers Bar & Grill. Montana Mining Company Steakhouse, opened for a few weeks at 550 Officenter Pl., Gahanna, closed suddenly Feb. 1 and informed The Dispatch that “we don’t want the closing in The Dispatch.” Freedom Cafe, opened in April 2002 by Magnus Duruji after a high profiled fight with U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to stay in this country, closed in January without notice. Panache, opened in March 2002 for a few months in The Continent, died slowly after public confusion as to whether it was a French restaurant or a night club. The phone rang for six months without getting an answer. One reviewer described the French fare as “weird,” which apparently added a nail to the coffin. Mannequins, 222 W. Henderson Rd., closed one summer night and reopened with new owners as a jazz club called VooDoo, a blues club. The Shark Club, 4077 Gramercy St., Easton, an upscale pool hall with food, closed in July. Longhorn Steakhouse, 6630 Sawmill Rd., causes unknown.  Johnny Rockets, that Bobby Sox-era eatery in City Center, closed in April. An employee cited the reason: “No sales...pretty much everything there is turning ghostly down here.” Quizno’s Subs, 2049 W. Henderson Rd., closed in April. Apparently this store has reopened as a company store. No other word to date on status. DJ’s Daily Grind, originally in Lane Shopping Center, moved to Tremont Center, closed unannounced. Franco’s Pizza, 5225 N. High St., passed away April 30. • Cha-ching, cha-clunk: Rancho Allegre, the third eatery attempt at 2110 Stringtown Rd., Grove City, rolled over one night after 18 months pushing ersatz Tex-Mexican fare. A Chinese tote-out, Chef Ho’s, cooled off the woks at 2500 Bethel Rd. in Carriage Place late one evening of an unknown date, but has been replaced with a dim sum palace, Sun Tong Luck. Big Daddys (cq), 45 Vine St., a big time bar scene with 200 seats behind paper-over windows, closed in February, has since become a Gibby’s wing ding. Firdous Arlington in Kingsdale, struggled from opening to gain a following for Middle Eastern fare, but could not attract a crowd in a fading mall. The owner sold to two operators who changed the name to Niko’s, but left the restaurant without notice to the original owner. Firdous is now locked down by the landlord pending a court settlement. Windy City Grill, lasted less than a year at 3195 Hilliard-Rome Rd., in Tinapple Plaza. Its Chicago hot dogs received great opening publicity, but trade insiders say zero marketing probably sounded the death bell. Bollo Bar and Pizzeria, 660 N. High St., had the shortest run, three months, when it closed Jan. 2, in a spot that had been Dagwoodz. Zackary’s Deli, 3959 Gramercy St., Easton Town Center was a fatal attempt at deli fare, but faded fast after opening with a menu that could not be fulfilled. Purveyor lawsuits signalled the August melt down. Suit amounts included $29,434 to Chute Gerdeman for design work; and $115,000 on a note default to Unizan Bank. Attorney Randy Robinson managed to collect on two bad checks issued to Roth Produce, but said he collected from Easton management when an effort was made to keep the place open. A. S. A. P. Pizza, 9685 Sawmill Rd., closed Jan. 15 when according to the annoucement, a Pizza Hut opened a quarter mile away. Mediterraneo, 337 StoneRidge Plaza, spent 13 months in the room that had been two other flops. Owner George Michalowski said his reasons for closing were “no business, no sales.” The location originally was a Carsonie’s Restaurant, later to become for a few weeks, Bistro 21 owned by Moustafa Abdelaal (cq). • Disconnects: China Royal, 1762 Brice Rd. Rite Beans Coffee, opened July 26, 2002 at 9840 Brewster Lane, Powell, with announced plans to have five in two years, all company owned. • Sorry, but.......: Some operations keep telephone listings, but sometimes up to a year the intercept operator comes on with this advisory: “Sorry.............is being checked for trouble. Two in 2003 were Cool Beans, 79 Parsons Ave., and Swiss Cafe & Co., 6262 Busch Blvd. • Stranger than fiction closings: Turkish Bakery and Cafe, lasted 10 weeks at 4312 N. High St., when two operators walked and let the lease, described as “vague,” revert to the original occupant, Cedars Bakery. Opulence Restaurant, 30 S. Young St., in a ground space that originally in 1980 had been Otto’s Deli and later six other attempts, was billed as a mix of night club, dinner club, and restaurant. While visual activity was sparse, the final lock down came when attorney Randal Robinson executed two judgments in behalf of purveyors. The opening chef departed after one month, an act that tends to indicate internal troubles. One serious factor in the closing: The operator paid for alcoholic beverages, according to the liquor commission, “with a check that is not honored by the permit holder’s bank.”  Flo Nitelife, 55 E. Main St., opened November 2002, closed April 26,
2003. It was opened and promoted by major league baseballer Mo Vaughn who lured
the city’s official hoi polloi to the glitzy 900-seater that operated just three
nights weekly. Complaints after opening hung on high drink tabs and no food.
It was billed as an “adult urban nightclub.” Lawyers are now sorting out the
remains. Martin Management will schedule an auction of furnishings and
equipment for later in February.Cancun Mexican Restaurant, 5701 Maple Canyon Dr., was praised by reviewers for some eight years and then in June, lock down. The location now is the third Mariachi’s. Banana Joe’s, 503 S. Front St., was a bar with some food, preceded the new operation Bella’s. Why Joe departed? No news. Around the corner from Joe’s, Ludlow’s Bar, 485 S. Front, faded from view, date unknown. Columbus, Ohio, is a very active restaurant city. Long known as a test kitchen, for new forays into the food business, there is no surprise that the restaurant failure rate is high in our city. Columbus is a testing center because of our diverse population. We have it all from some of the wealthiest retail tycoons right down to our famous hillbillies of Parsons Avenue. Always there is sadness when a favorite old haunt closes. Tomorrow there will be two new entrepreneurs to take their place. Now pardon us while we get busy on the closings list for 2004.
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