For the past year, chef Eric Rogers has been cultivating a large and growing following at his South Euclid restaurant Nevaeh Cuisine (359 S. Green Rd.), which opened last winter. He’s amassed some 16,000 Instagram followers, he reports, thanks to his creative cuisine, which veers from Creole- and Cajun-style classics like jambalaya and gumbo, to soul-satisfying comfort foods like smothered chicken with mac and cheese.
But when it came time to extend his lease, he began shopping for a new home.
“I had aspirations to take this concept to another level and this area didn’t have the diversity that I wanted and needed,” he explains.
The Sweetie Fry space on the corner of Lee and Silsby works, he says, because it’s already set up for his new “fast gourmet” concept, which will focus on soups, salads and creative sandwiches for lunch and dinner. He might also add entrees to the mix down the road. In addition to the carry-out component, there will be approximately 15 to 20 seats for dine-in customers.
The new name – Black Box Fix – originated as a hashtag (#blackboxfix) that customers would use when sharing on social media pictures of the chef’s food, which is packaged to go in a reusable black box.
Although Nevaeh is just shy of one year old, Rogers’ catering company of the same name is a decade old. In 2011, he gave up his day job to pursue cooking fulltime.
“I was in healthcare finance,” he says. “I took a leap of faith and left to pursue my passion for cooking.”
Look for Black Box Fix to open in early spring.
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