RED Restaurant Group Buys Heritage Steak & Whiskey at Eton

Since opening at Eton Chagrin two and a half years ago, Heritage Steak & Whiskey has cemented itself as one of Northeast Ohio’s most highly regarded steakhouses. Owner Doug Petkovic maintains a level of quality, consistency and hospitality that comes from having spent more than 40 years in the industry.

But all that will end on Thursday, March 26, Heritage’s last day of service. After closing up shop that evening, Petkovic will hand over the keys to Gregg Levy and RED Restaurant Group.

It was not an easy decision for Petkovic to come to terms with, he explains.

“The RED people approached me through a mutual friend and asked if I was interested in selling the restaurant to them,” Petkovic says. “At that time, I was not interested. Heritage is very busy, it’s been ramping up, and we’re pretty packed every night. We have a great team, great leadership and a great culture there.”

Petkovic worked for more than two years to reshape the former Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse into a warm, attractive and contemporary space. The restaurant maintains consistently high ratings throughout the dining community. And it’s busy pretty much every day of the week. (Read our dining review from early 2024.)

But nevertheless, after further discussions – and time to reflect – Petkovic ultimately changed his position.

“It felt right to do this right now,” he explains. “They were motivated and it was a good situation for both parties. It’s bittersweet. What I do is a labor of love. It wasn’t without its own challenges, but I’ve put my heart and soul into it.”

Petkovic will shift his attentions to his other properties, which include Mabel’s BBQ and Flannery’s downtown and Red’s Lakehouse in Marblehead, in which he is a partner.

In anticipation of this move or one like it, RED Steakhouse shuttered its Pinecrest location last month. Management explained that as the restaurant approached the end of its lease, they opted to part ways with the Orange Village shopping plaza. They had been searching for a new home on Cleveland’s east side, specifically along busy Chagrin Boulevard, the site of RED’s original Beachwood location. (It is business as usual at RED’s downtown steakhouse on Prospect Ave.)

Reached for comment, RED Steakhouse managing partner Gregg Levy confirmed that a deal is in the works, but declined to elaborate on future plans. Those will be forthcoming, he promised.

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