Erie + Vine — with Tony’s Burger Shop — to open early June in Willoughby. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Erie + Vine (4027 Erie St.), a new bar in Willoughby that is replacing the short-lived Dukes n’ Boots, is on pace to open the first week in June. When it does, chef Anthony Zappola will unveil the second location of his popular Tony’s Burger Shop concept that opened this past winter at Van Aken District.
Zappola says that he had worked with the building owners years ago at Ballantine in the same city. He describes the arrangement as mutually beneficial, with him being the food operator and his new partners running the bar side of things.
Dante Boccuzzi opened Dukes ‘n Boots in 2023, but it closed last summer after little more than a year. The bar has undergone a full transformation, says Zappola, including new interior design, kitchen equipment and other features.
Like the original in Shaker Heights, Tony’s Burger Shop at Erie + Vine will offer single and double smash burgers, specialty burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, fried chicken tenders, fries and onion rings. Everything is made with Zappola’s chef-driven attention to detail.
Zappola added that he plans to further expand his Tony’s concept in the near future.
Tony’s Burger Shop
Earlier this year, Tony Zappola shut down the Rice Shop, an Asian-fusion concept that he launched in Vegas. The Van Aken District restaurant was facing the same challenges as its competition, namely rising food costs, higher wages, decreased sales and a shallow talent pool. So the chef opted to simplify. In place of a chef-driven concept that was “difficult to source, difficult to staff, and very niche,” Zappola grabbed some low-hanging fruit. Tony’s Burger Shop, which took the place of the Rice Shop, is straightforward, familiar and appealing. The shop is largely in the capable hands of Eddy Keating, who Zappola has been mentoring since the Ohio City Galley days. The concise menu features single and double smash burgers, a few specialty burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, fried chicken tenders, fries and onion rings. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
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.
