Adding to Cleveland’s already vibrant dining scene, here are all the new restaurants in the area set to open their doors this year. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for news about these comeback and debut restaurants.

Boaz Café 20630 John Carroll Blvd., University Heights Aladdin’s Eatery unveiled its health-focused, fast-casual spinoff Boaz Café two years ago in Ohio City (2549 Lorain Ave.,) with eyes on future expansion. The first phase of those expansion plans will occur this fall when the company unveils its new East Side location. Boaz is moving into the former Sweet Melissa space in University Heights, near the campus of John Carroll University. Scene Archives Photo
Mojo World Eats and Drink 2196 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights After roughly 40 years in business, Lopez has ceased to exist in Cleveland Heights. The pioneering Mexican eatery began life in 1980, when owners Brad Friedlander and Craig Somers opened the spot at Lee and Washington. For the past 15 years, Lopez lived across from the Cedar Lee Theatre, the last three years of which were under the ownership of longtime chef Michael Herschman. Soon, Herschman will revive his former Tremont bistro Mojo in that space. Like the original, Mojo will present a lengthy menu loaded with globally diverse and appealing options. The current working catalogue approaches 40 different items, most of which take inspiration from Pacific Rim, Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Photo via Scene Archives
All Saints Public House 1261 West 76th St., Cleveland Just because a space doesn’t work for one or two groups doesn’t mean another can’t come in and turn it around. Next up for the prominent Detroit Shoreway building that recently was home to Battery Park Pub, Graffiti and Reddstone will be All Saints Public House, an “Old English style neighborhood pub with good food.” Photo via Scene Archives
Burgerim 17100 Royalton Rd., Strongsville Ledgewood Plaza in Strongsville is getting a branch of the Israel-based gourmet hamburger chain, Burgerim (“many burgers” in Hebrew). The restaurant offers burgers made from traditional Angus, dry-aged and Spanish beef, as well as Hawaiian salmon, falafel and lamb. Burgeim also offers a build-your-own-burger option, where customers can choose between two types of buns, 10 proteins, four cheeses, eight sauces and 11 toppings. Photo via Google Maps
Cent’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 Google Maps
Cleveland Tea Revival 3216 Silsby Rd., Cleveland Heights Mike George and Amber Pompeii opened Cleveland Tea Revival in the Hingetown area of Ohio City in 2014. Since then, the couple started a family and relocated to Cleveland Heights. As fate would have it, the opportunity to open a second, larger specialty tea shop soon followed. Cleveland Tea Revival currently is setting up shop inside the old firehouse near the intersection of Lee and Silsby roads at the former Lee-Silsby Compounding Pharmacy space and will be opening shortly. Photo via Google Maps
Hampton Social Flats East Bank The Chicago-based Hampton Social is among four new restaurants and nightclubs set to be installed along a chunk of land bordering the waterfront in the Flats East Bank. Specializing in seafood, the modern and sleek restaurant will also include a speakeasy-type bar and music lounge called the Bassment underneath the dining area. While there is currently no set-date for opening, Flats East Bank developer Scott Wolstein expects to request financing for the project from the city council sometime this year. Photo by Emmanuel Wallace
Jade 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 Maps
New Karen Small Project 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. Small envisions the as-yet-unnamed café to serve breakfast, 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 Bialosky
Leavened Bakery Scranton Road and Auburn Avenue For the past seven years Ian Herrington has been working at On the Rise bakery in Cleveland Heights, where he has risen to the position of head baker and production manager. Come summer of 2020, he will roll all of that experience into a bake shop of his own. Leavened, as the bakery will be called, will take up residence on the ground floor of The Tappan, a four-story, 95-unit mixed-use property currently being built at Scranton Road and Auburn Avenue. The project is the latest from the team at Sustainable Communities Associates. Photo courtesy Bialosky
Pie Squared and Grains & Greens at Ohio City Galley 1400 West 25th St., Cleveland Change is once again afoot at the Ohio City Galley. It has been a little more than a year since the incubator-style food hall opened its doors and already we’ve observed plenty of movement. In the plus column are two new concepts by Brett Sawyer and Vince Thomascik of the Plum and Good Company. Pie Squared will sell five pre-designed pies plus a build-your-own model. Grains and Greens, the other concept, offers a selection of grain bowls and salads, with much of the menu vegan and vegetarian. There will be protein supplements that diners can add to their bowls. Photo via Scene Archives
Proof Bar-BQ 2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland Over the past three years, the former Komorowski Funeral Home building on Professor Avenue has transitioned from a place of bereavement to a warren of joyful activity with Visible Voice bookstore on the top floor and Crust pizza on the main floor. The latest phase of the building’s evolution has been underway for months, as Crust owner Mike Griffin readies the lower level for public consumption. When it opens in January or February, Proof Bar-BQ and Cocktails will bring Southern and Texas-style barbecue to Tremont. Photo by Doug Trattner
Saucy Brew Works Pinecrest, Orange Village In a move designed to increase its presence on the east side of town, Saucy Brew Works will open a brewpub at Pinecrest, according to partner-brewer Eric Anderson. This new spot is modest compared to other existing and planned projects. At 2,000 square feet, the pub will accommodate about 75 guests. The goal is to open in early spring. Photo by Laura Morrison
Summer House 12900 Lake Ave., Lakewood Restauranter Tony George is opening up a new restaurant in the former location of Swingos on the Lake, which has been permanently closed since 2009. George has originally planned to open Summer House in 2017, but instead after two years of extensive renovations the restaurant will open in 2020. Located inside Carlyle on the Lake condominiums, customers will be able to enjoy views of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland as they dine. Photo via Google Maps
Swenson’s 4660 Ridge Rd., Brooklyn This beloved drive-in restaurant is opening up its fifth Northeast Ohio location in Brooklyn sometime this year. In the meantime, you can get your fast-food fix at the Akron-based cheeseburger company’s Avon, North Olmsted, Seven Hills and University Heights locations. Photo via @kryden_on/Instagram
Casablanca Urban Cantina Birdtown, Cleveland The family behind the beloved Barroco Arepa Bar recently expanded their local offerings by opening up Hola Tacos in Birdtown. Soon, they’ll branch out again, this time with a Latin American-inspired concept close to Hola which will feature wood-fired foods from Argentina, Peru, Chile and beyond. Photo via Scene Archives

Scene's award-winning newsroom oftentimes collaborates on articles and projects. Stories under this byline are group efforts.