While a global pandemic may not be the ideal time to open up a new restaurant, restaurants take a long time to open and many new concepts have been in the work for years. While industry openings may have recently slowed down a bit, there are still plenty of new places sprouting up around town. Let’s give them a chance, as the hard work and dedication needed in opening up a new restaurant is admirable. So keep an eye out for these openings and give them a try.
A.J. Rocco’s
828 Huron Rd. E., Cleveland
After an 18-year run, A. Brendan Walton closed his popular Gateway District café/bar/music venue A.J. Rocco’s a year ago this past December. He did not have to look far for a new home. When it opens sometime this spring, the new A.J. Rocco’s will occupy a nearby patch of downtown real estate that most recently was home to Huron Point Tavern and, before that, Alesci’s Downtown. A full kitchen will allow Walton to expand well beyond the pizza and sandwiches that sustained guests for years. The full-service bar and restaurant will be casual enough to accommodate families bound for Progressive Field, says Walton, but nice enough to attract couples on date night.
Photo via Scene ArchivesImmigrant Son Brewing
18210 Sloane Ave., Lakewood
When Constantino’s Market closed its Lakewood grocery store, it was a sad day for the family-run business. But the closure also provided one family member, brewery founder Andrew Revy, with the opportunity he had been waiting for for years: the ideal property for Immigrant Son Brewery. Lakewood’s first and only brewery will be a full-on brewery and brewpub, with equal emphasis placed on both the food and beer.
Photo via Scene ArchivesTwo New Concepts at Harbor Verandas
1050 East Ninth St., Cleveland
For most of his career in and around the hospitality industry, Chris Schramm has played a supporting role as design consultant, lending his sharp eye for detail to projects like the original Lola in Tremont and literally dozens of other high-profile spaces. But for the past year or so he’s quietly been working on a project of his own, one that will place him squarely in the principal position. His latest canvas is the ground floor of Harbor Verandas, the luxury apartment building located on the East Ninth Street Pier, just steps from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The 4,000-square-foot space will contain two separate concepts, a coffee shop and “bar/lounge/kitchen.” Cute for Coffee will occupy about one third of the ground floor, while Sandrine, the bar, will inhabit the rest.
Photo via Scene ArchivesGoma
2079 East Fourth St., Cleveland
In the wake of one celebrity chef’s departure from East Fourth Street, another is staking a claim on a different high-profile location on that same street. Chef Dante Boccuzzi will open Goma in the former home of Zack Bruell’s Chinato at the prominent corner of Prospect and East Fourth. It will be the prolific chef’s first downtown restaurant. When it opens in June or July, Goma will be a high-energy Japanese Fusion restaurant with a sushi bar and full kitchen.
Photo via Scene ArchivesGrafe Cafe
3182 West 25th St., Cleveland
Daisun Lee Santana, a professional breakdancer and former Cavs Scream Team member, turned his attention to becoming a barber. In less than two years, he has cultivated a three-location, 14-barber group called CityBreaks Barbershop. Next up for Santana is the addition of Grafé Café, which is opening next door to the CityBreaks Barbershop in Cleveland. What began as a simple “graffiti coffee shop” has expanded in scope to become a full-service café with a Latin touch serving breakfast, lunch and bar snacks.
Photo via Scene ArchivesFilter Restaurant
740 West Superior Ave., Cleveland
If you’re a seafood lover, the name Kyler Smith likely rings a bell. In just two short years, Smith has propelled his Sauce Boiling Seafood Express concept from a single location in University Heights to one that will boast five locations by mid-2021. Next up for the confident young entrepreneur is a project called Filter, which currently is taking shape in the Warehouse District. Smith’s biggest gambit yet, the fine-dining, full-service restaurant is coming to life in the former Take 5 Rhythm and Jazz space in the Perry–Payne Building. Expected to open in May, the 120-seat restaurant and bar will inject a much-needed dose of entertainment and nightlife into that corner of the city.
Photo via Scene ArchivesCent’s Pizzeria
5010 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
Formerly home to PM Security, a sturdy brick building on the eastern edge of Detroit Shoreway will undergo significant renovations by the landlord before being handed over to Vincent Morelli, who has been working for the past year to open his own pizza shop. When he’s done with it, hopefully soon, he’ll open Cent’s Pizzeria.
Photo via Scene ArchivesBatuqui
17 East Orange St., Chagrin Falls
Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira, a Brazilian couple, opened Batuqui (12706 Larchmere Blvd.,) to almost immediate success in 2015. And why not as there was a lot to love, from the cachaça-laced Caipirinhas and intriguing Brazilian food to the charming setting in a turn-of-the-century Colonial near Shaker Square.
Now, the couple is doubling down. This spring they will open a second location in Chagrin Falls, in yet another turn-of-the-century building, this one a stately brick Victorian a short stroll from Main Street.
Photo via Scene ArchivesBar Italia
15625 Detroit Ave., Lakewood and 26300 Cedar Rd., Beachwood
Rick Doody, restaurateur behind such concepts as Cedar Creek Grille, 17 River Grille and Lindey’s Lake House, recently changed his Lindey’s Lake House concept in Lakewood to Bar Italia. Drawing on his roots as co-founder of Bravo and Brio restaurants, Doody is converting the format at his two-year-old Lakewood eatery, Lindey’s Lake House, to Italian, starring fresh pastas and homemade sauces. Bar Italia uses fresh pasta from Flour Pasta Company, fresh-baked breads from On the Rise and made-from-scratch sauces crafted with high-quality meats. The Beachwood location of Lindey’s will turn over some time this spring and will feature a pizza oven, unlike the Lakewood location,
Photo via Scene ArchivesJade
Flats East Bank
Also among the new restaurants and nightclubs set to be installed on the Flats East Bank waterfront is Jade, an Asian-fusion restaurant from the owner of XO Prime Steaks downtown. Again, no opening date is set in stone, so keep an eye on this one.
Photo via Google MapsThe Last Page
100 Park Ave. Ste. 128, Orange Village
The Last Page, a restaurant described by its owners as a “modern American concept,” is opened its doors at Pinecrest in February. The Last Page is open seven days a week and features an all-day menu during the week and a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. Guests can expect an eclectic menu with global influence. On the menu are snacks and appetizers such as sweet potato chips with rye sour cream, salmon belly spread with everything crostini, colossal shrimp with horseradish cocktail sauce, and sweet and spicy dry rubbed ghost wings with umami ranch.
Photo via Scene ArchivesNew Luca Cuisine Venture
500 West St. Clair Ave., Cleveland
Lola Sema, co-owner of Luca Italian Cuisine and Luca West, admits that now might not seem like the most prudent time to purchase a restaurant, but she also appreciates how infrequently genuine opportunity comes knocking. The “opportunity” in question is the former XO Prime Steaks property in the heart of the Warehouse District. Despite operating a restaurant one mile away, the Semas say that Luca’s location along the Superior Viaduct feels disconnected from downtown Cleveland. The Semas are in the midst of renovating the space for a future restaurant, but what that concept will be is still unclear.
Photo via Scene ArchivesMod Mex Cenas
1835 Fulton Rd., Cleveland and 16918 Detroit Ave., Lakewood
Chef Eric Williams of Momocho and El Carnicero continues to employ and pay his staff by selling take-out food five days a week at both of his restaurants. He says that the pandemic continues to challenge him in ways that he never expected. In November of 2020, he and his team had the idea to create a line of frozen dinners. All of the dishes are “cold-produced” in-house. The frozen dinners will be available for pick-up at both restaurants and can be ordered through the regular online portals and combined with hot food orders.
Photo via Scene ArchivesMar Mar’s Pizza Kitchen
3355 Richmond Rd., Beachwood
We can add Mar Mar’s Pizza Kitchen to the long list of pizza-themed pop-ups to open during the pandemic. The business, run by Mario and Angela Santo Domingo, has taken over the kitchens of Rosso (formerly Red, the Steakhouse) in Beachwood. The main attraction is the pizza, made with chef Mario’s homemade dough. The thick Sicilian-style square-cut pies come by the quarter or half sheet. Selections range from a vegan creation to the Meat Sweats, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, salami, banana peppers and jalapeno.
Photo via Scene ArchivesJuneberry
3900 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
There is a silver lining to the recent closure of Jack Flaps, a popular breakfast diner in Ohio City. Chef Karen Small has announced that she will take the space over and open a diner of her own. The cafe will serve breakfast-all-day and lunch items until the early afternoon. Small, who opened the venerated Flying Fig (2523 Market Ave.,) in the same neighborhood 20 years ago, was motivated to grab the space because of what she believes is a gap in the marketplace.
Photo courtesy Scene ArchivesBoney Fingers BBQ
1800 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
After nearly five years at the historic Cleveland Arcade, Boney Fingers BBQ is in the process of relocating to a larger space up the road. Owner Erik Huff says the new location, in the former Pizza Pan spot near the Comfort Inn Downtown, will open sometime in March. “The Arcade was always going to be our starting point: Get our name out there, get our product out there,” Huff says. “We had a good run there, but it was time to move.” Boney Fingers, known for its slow-smoked Texas-style barbecue, is upgrading from 325 square feet to 1,800 square feet. It’s not “just barbecue” of course. Huff smokes his beef brisket for 15 hours, alongside pork butt and baby back ribs. Those items are sold by weight or in sandwiches, while also appearing in tacos, brisket cheesesteaks and Polish Boys. All that will be carried over to the new address along with a relaunch of the popular breakfast menu.
Photo via Scene ArchivesKindred Spirit Kitchen
3396 Tuttle Rd., Shaker Heights
Since taking over the former Sawyer’s space at Van Aken District, the partners at Forward Hospitality have been busy undoing a lot of the work that came before them, explains CEO Michael Schwartz. Kindred Spirit, which opened early 2021, does so as a hipper, more approachable restaurant better suited to the neighborhood just outside its doors, states its owners. The restaurant describes the cuisine as “West Coast energy with influence from the Mediterranean and around the globe.” Think fresh, healthy and flavorful, with a heavy focus on greens, grains, veggies, fish and a handful of meats.
Photo via Scene ArchivesBoss ChicknBeer
27321 Wolf Rd., Bay Village
Heather Doeberling and Emily Moes made such a splash with their popular food truck Boca Loca that they opened a Berea-based brick-and-mortar operation of the same name a couple years later. They parlayed those early successes into Boss ChicknBeer , which they opened in 2018, also in Berea. Recently, they sold both Boca Loca ventures to focus on Boss, a brand bound for bigger things. First up: a second shop in Bay Village which will open some time in April. Boss struck a chord with diners thanks to a hyper-focused menu that zeroes in on – wait for it – chicken and beer. Seven Hills will be some time after that.
Photo via Scene ArchivesHot Chicken Takeover
17830 Royalton Rd., Ste. 250, Strongsville
Since launching seven years ago as a weekend-only pop-up in Columbus, Hot Chicken Takeover has continued to expand its reach throughout the state. With the recent opening of its Westerville location, there now are four stores in Central Ohio. Crocker Park, the first shop outside Greater Columbus, opened in late 2019. Next up for the Columbus-based restaurant that specializes in Nashville hot chicken is Strongsville, specifically the Royalton Collection development on N. Royalton. The goal is to open in April.
Photo via Scene ArchivesMartha on The Fly
1200 W. 76th St., Cleveland
Chef Ryan Beck launched Martha Pie on the Fly, a social media-propelled cottage food biz, while working at the Plum. Since launching in November, Martha pies like vanilla bean custard, apple crumble, and smoky pumpkin and sweet potato have been flying off the virtual shelves, says Beck. What’s next is a quick-serve breakfast concept called Martha on the Fly. The operation will take over Good Company from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during the weekends of March 27, April 3 and April 10 (with others possible). Orders are placed and paid for online and picked up in Battery Park. The approachable menu features various egg and cheese sandwiches on house-baked Scotch rolls. Some star house-cured and smoked bacon, house-made beef bologna, and homemade pork sausage patties.
Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene ArchivesNew Concept From Char and Avo Modern Mexican Owners in Former Greenhouse Tavern Space
2038 East Fourth St., Cleveland
When it comes to high-profile restaurant properties, few are more tantalizing than the former Greenhouse Tavern. That restaurant on E. Fourth Street famously – and abruptly – closed its doors in February 2020, one month before the pandemic forced all other restaurants to do the same. As of a few weeks ago, that property officially became unavailable. Now we know who claimed it: Gabriel Zeller and Julie Mesenburg, the husband-and-wife team behind Barra Tacos, Char Whisky Bar, Avo Modern Mexican and Lago at Lakeside, a seasonal operation in Marblehead. “How many opportunities do you get to be on East Fourth Street,” Zeller asks rhetorically. “Probably one. If we say no now, will we ever get another opportunity to be there. It’s not like those guys move out all the time.” Zeller says it’s still too early to nail down a menu, but he describes Indie as a seasonal “New American” eatery offering small plates, sharables platters and signature plates.
Photo via Scene ArchivesHell’s Fried Chicken
7402 Broadview Road, Parma
Prior to the opening of Hell’s Fried Chicken in University Circle, owner Sheng Long Yu told Scene that he was already searching for additional spots for his new fast-casual restaurant concept. Apparently, he found one. Slated to open summer 2021, the second location will be in Parma in a former Qdoba Mexican Eats space. Yu is the owner behind numerous Asian concepts in the region and beyond. He operates Shinto restaurants in Strongsville and Westlake, Kenko Sushi in University Circle and Kent, Dagu Rice Noodle in Asiatown and Pittsburgh, and Ipoke near the Cleveland Clinic. His newest venture, features crispy fried chicken with numerous sauces, sides, seasoned curly fries and garlic bread. The fast-casual eatery opened this fall near the campus of Case Western Reserve University.
Photo via Scene ArchivesHeart of Gold
4133 Lorain Rd., Cleveland
This April would have marked The Plum’s fifth birthday, but sadly the wildly creative Ohio City bistro will not reach that milestone. Owner Jonah Oryszak announced that he and chef-partner Brett Sawyer are parting ways and that the space will reopen under a different banner and concept. He described Heart of Gold, the Plum’s replacement, as a “fast casual neighborhood bar and kitchen focused on thoughtfully composed inventive food and drinks.”
Photo via Scene ArchivesStoneFruit Coffee Co.
530 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
In less than one month since Pour Cleveland owner Charlie Eisenstat announced that he was closing his eight-year-old retail shop downtown, the space has already been claimed by another coffee roaster and retailer. Joshua Langenheim of StoneFruit Coffee Co. says the goal is to open the doors sometime this April. Langenheim launched his Youngstown-based company just five years ago, but already has expanded with locations in Boardman, Poland, Canfield and downtown Youngstown. When it comes to coffee, Langenheim says, “We do everything in house. We source it, we roast it, we grind it, we brew it, we drink it, we love it.”
Photo via Scene ArchivesJoJo’s Steaks
87 West St., Chagrin Falls
If your name is Rick Doody, your to-do list looks a little something like this: Complete the work of converting Lindey’s Lake House in Beachwood to Bar Italia, completely remodel Lindey’s Lake House in the Flats before peak season rolls around, and put the finishing touches on the dazzling terraced patio overlooking the falls at 17 River, all while managing the day-to-day operations of the brand-new Bar Italia in Lakewood and the nearly 10-year-old Cedar Creek Grille in Beachwood. Next up is the work of converting Bull & Bird Steakhouse in Chagrin Falls to a new concept, tentatively called JoJo’s Steaks. Bull & Bird, if you’ll recall, opened in the former Gamekeeper’s Tavern spot in 2018. The owners, Hyde Park Restaurant Group, closed the restaurant along with everybody else in March of 2020 and never reopened it. “We’re going to create two concepts; literally two separate restaurants,” Doody explains. For three or four months out of the year (weather permitting), there will be an alfresco operation on the picturesque rear patio. The heart of the operation will be the Argentine parrilla, or wood-burning grill. Indoors will remain some sort of chophouse, but with a broader menu.
Photo via Scene ArchivesCilantro Taqueria
18260 Detroit Ave., Lakewood
Partners Raul Carrillo and Alex Galindo opened location number one in early 2019 in a former Chipotle restaurant in Coventry Village (2783 Euclid Hts. Blvd.) Location number two followed shortly thereafter in Shaker Heights (20090 Van Aken Blvd.). Like the others, the Lakewood spot will offer excellent tacos, burritos and tortas, but also appetizers like chips and salsa and queso fundido. Don’t be surprised if the Coventry, Shaker and Lakewood shops are joined by others in the not-so-distant future.
Photo via Scene ArchivesMarchant Manor Cheese
2211 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights
Kandice Marchant began making cheese as a hobbyist, working her way through a beginner’s cheesemaking book. While she enjoyed the results – straightforward creations like ricotta, mozzarella and cottage cheese – she had loftier tastes and ambitions and opened Marchant Manor Cheese in the historic Cedar-Lee district of the Heights. In addition to producing their own delicious cheeses, shoppers can find other products for charcuterie like pickles, olives, jams and cheese boards. Credit: Scene ArchivesBirdigo
32975 Aurora Rd., Solon
Three or four years ago, Imperial Wok owner Michael DuBois sat down with 56 Kitchen owner Jay Leitson to hatch a plan for a new restaurant venture. The top contender was fried chicken, a sector that in the years since has seen incredible growth. They are currently putting the finishing touches on a space that will not only serve as a ghost kitchen for carry-out and delivery service, but also a commissary for planned future expansion. The core product will be fried chicken tenders, paired with a choice of 10 original sauces. Sandwiches will include Nashville hot, pulled chicken and rotisserie-roasted porchetta. Also coming off the spit will be whole chickens. “Comfort-food” sides will range from deep-fried deviled eggs to baked, smashed and deep-fried fingerling potatoes. Specials such as brisket and banh mi sandwiches could pop up on any given day. The space should be ready for its unveiling by late March or early April.
Photo via Scene ArchivesCity Pop Sushi
1816 East 12th St., Cleveland
When City Pop Sushi opens downtown in March, it likely will be one of the most visually stimulating eateries around, a candy-colored homage to Japanese pop culture. “Our entire theme is based around `80s Japanese city pop music,” says owner Bryson Strowder. Rolls, both grab-and-go and made-to-order, will star fully cooked items like bacon, steak and shrimp. They will be joined by dipping sauces such as wasabi mayo and yum-yum.
Photo via Scene ArchivesTost Sandwihces
13427 Madison Ave., Lakewood
After more than a year of delays, Tost Sandwich Cafe in Lakewood is just days from opening its doors. Described by owner Tommy Karakostas as a “European-style deli and café,” the business will be a casual, comfortable destination for coffee, sandwiches and pastries. “In Greece and Italy there are a lot of small places – some of them are mom-and-pop and some of them are franchises – that do tost sandwiches,” explains Karakostas. “They are panini-press sandwiches.” Tost will take that concept and “Americanize” it somewhat by upgrading the fillings. While Greek tost sandwiches tend to be minimal in construction, he notes, Tost will update them with a larger variety of deli meats, cheeses and garnishes.
Photo via Scene ArchivesPub Frato
25 Pleasant Dr., Chagrin Falls
Since 2013, has been a staple of the Concord Township dining scene. The popular gastropub was launched by Chris and Lynda Frate, a husband-and-wife team taking their first stab at restaurant ownership. Since last autumn, the Frates have been working on the former Grove Hill (and Raintree) property in Chagrin Falls. An onsite chef will work in conjunction with company chef Maggie Demko to prepare the gastropub-style menu. Fans of the Concord site can look forward to the same approachable, agreeable pub fare. Likely menu items include egg-topped poutine, brisket-stuffed peppers with beer cheese, short rib tacos, patty melts, fish and chips, and salmon fettuccine. The Frates are shooting for a late-spring opening.
Photo via Scene Archives
