The owners of the popular Ohio City bed and breakfast J. Palen House are expanding their empire. In addition to adding more residential buildings to their growing inn business, they have acquired a commercial building on Whitman to transform into an eatery.
“We’ve been trying to keep this from sneaking out,” says owner Diane Miller, doing her best to deflect the news. “We are already in the hospitality business — and I was bored, so we just decided to go ahead and do it.”
When asked if being located within walking distance to a dozen or more of the city’s finest eateries concerns here, Miller laughs it off. “That just means that there are more people who are enjoying everything in the neighborhood. More is always better in the same neighborhood.”
Despite the news slipping out, Miller is determined to keep the concept under wraps for now. All she is willing to reveal is that it is completely unique to the neighborhood.
“I can’t tell you what it is, but it is something that is completely different from what’s in the neighborhood,” she says. “You can trust me, there’s nothing else like it.”
Look for an opening in the coming months.
This article appears in May 1-7, 2013.
Alright, I’ll give it a shot once the top secret classified label is removed.