A decade ago, the Local Tavern restaurant group took over the 100-year-old brick building in downtown Willoughby that had long been home to Gavi’s. After considerable work the new owners opened Local Sol Kitchen with Michael Schoen as their opening chef. Now called Sol (38257 Glenn Ave., 440-918-1596), the restaurant has firmly entrenched itself as a mainstay of the Willoughby dining scene.

But all that history is now up for grabs as owners David and Tanja Bartulovic have officially placed the business up for sale. Since opening nearly 11 years ago, the owners and their partners have gone on to open several restaurants, including four Crowley’s locations and Kearney’s Public House in Mentor. Something had to give.

“We have made the tough decision to put our beloved Sol up for sale,” says management. “This is incredibly bitter sweet – we love this restaurant so much but it’s time to take a different direction in our journey.”

But Sol is not closing; at least not immediately — and perhaps not in the foreseeable future if new owners opt to keep it going.

“We will remain open during the sales process, honor gift cards, take care of planned parties and celebrate Sol,” says the owners.

In the meantime, the owners encourage fans to continue visiting and supporting the restaurant in the coming weeks and months.

“We want you to be with us during the sales process. We invite you to visit us and take this time to enjoy all the things that have made you love Sol over the years. It’s time for that favorite meal and signature cocktail at Sol before we are gone.”

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For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.