First Look: Choolaah, Opening Friday, July 29 in Ohio City

First announced in 2019, Choolaah (1903 W. 25th St., 216-453-8444) now is days away from opening the doors to its beautiful new Ohio City restaurant. Located on W. 25th Street, just steps from the West Side Market, the fast-casual Indian eatery will open to the public on Friday, July 29.

Formerly home to Howard Hanna, the 3,000-square-foot space has been transformed into a colorful, art-filled space with indoor and outdoor dining. A wall of windows opens up to the sidewalk patio, while a rear patio offers a more private space to dine outdoors. Inside, there is room for 60.

“We were waiting, waiting, waiting for the right spot in Ohio City,” co-CEO Randhir Sethi said of the space. “We think the neighborhood is such a great fit for us because of our vegan, vegetarian and restricted-diet menu options. So many of our main menu items are built for that; we are on the forward curve for those things.”

Choolaah launched its fast-casual Indian BBQ concept eight years ago in Orange Village (27100 Chagrin Blvd., 216-350-3136). Since then, the company has gone on to open shops in Pittsburgh, King of Prussia, Sterling, Virginia, and Boardman, Ohio. Ohio City is number seven for the fast-growing company.

All the food is made from scratch on site at each location, including the fresh-baked naan, which is prepared in tandoor ovens in the open kitchen. The roster of wholesome, flavorful and approachable bowls, wraps and street snacks is highly customizable, allowing guests to shape their perfect dining experience.

“This is a fast-casual dining experience not only unique to our market, but to the entire category,” notes co-CEO Raji Sankar. “Choolaah’s mission is to delight every guest, every time by delivering delicious food people love to eat, know is good for them, compulsively rave about, and can’t wait to come back for. And best of all, we never stop evolving.”

Next up for Choolaah is a location in Westlake, which currently is under construction.