A look at nearly 50 restaurants that closed in Columbus this year
Nearly 50 major restaurants closed in the Columbus area this year, ranging from longtime family-run establishments to short-lived national chains.
Some eateries, such as Champps Americana and Barra Tacos, left the city or state completely. Others, such as Pub Mahone and Two Truths, may make a return in some form, but customers are still waiting. And institutions like Max & Erma's, with just one Columbus-area location remaining, are hanging on.
Read on for all of the restaurants lost in 2022, and stay tuned for restaurants to look forward to in 2023.
Corner Bakery Café, Hen Quarter closed at the top of the year
Fast-casual chain Corner Bakery Café, at 1478 Gemini Place in Polaris, closed its first and sole Ohio location in January to start out the year. The eatery, which served breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, oatmeal and other breakfast fare, was replaced by Torchy's Tacos in June.
Southern restaurant Hen Quarter also closed its doors at 6628 Riverside Dr. in Dublin in January, at first due to a COVID-19 outbreak. By March, however, the restaurant still hadn't reopened when a lawsuit was filed by former employees over unpaid wages.
Curry Up Indian Grill closed temporarily at 6181 Sawmill Rd. in Dublin in January, though owner Vishal Patel has said the restaurant could reopen at the end of this year at the earliest.
Chains, local restaurants said goodbye to Columbus
At the top of February, Leipzig Haus closed after over 50 years in business. The bar, at 2201 E. Livingston Ave., opened in 1969 by German immigrants and was a favorite gathering place for students and alumni of nearby Capital University, along with Berwick and Bexley residents.
Restaurant and sports bar chain Champps Americana closed at 1827 Olentangy River Rd. in the Lennox Shopping Center, its last location in the state. And Oodles closed its locations at 443 E. Main St. Downtown and 765 Neil Ave. in Harrison West in February.
Fast-casual, Hawaiian-inspired eatery LemonShark Poké & Makai Grill closed its Easton Town Center location, while a previously announced University Square location failed to move forward.
Latin American restaurant Arepazo, 93 N. High St. in Gahanna, closed its second location on Feb. 24 after 10 years in business. However, the restaurant's location at 515 S. High St. in the Brewery District, remains open. The former Gahanna location is now the home of Marlow's Cheesesteaks.
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Spring saw major changes to Columbus nightlife
Pub Mahone closed its doors at 31 E. Gay St. Downtown shortly after St. Patrick's Day. The Irish pub opened in 2017. Esco Restaurant & Tapas is expected to open in the space soon.
Two Truths closed at 1205 N. High St. in the Short North in late March, after a dispute with its landlord. The cocktail bar known for art shows and dance parties opened in 2017.
Sports bar BBR and nightclub Dahlia, at 106 Vine St. and 147 W. Vine St. respectively, closed in April, with their spaces expected to be used for redevelopment in the Arena District.
One closed and another for sale for Rockmill
Rockmill Brewery's restaurant offshoot Bandit Pizza & Pairings closed at 503 S. Front St. in the Brewery District. Rockmill shortly after ceased food operations at its Lancaster brewery which, in July, went up for sale.
Shootings prompted a Roosters location to close
Roosters closed its 2454 E. Dublin Granville Road location on the Northeast Side after shootings in February and April, the former a fatality. A company representative at the time said the decision was to "keep everyone else as safe as possible."
Longtime restaurants closed their doors
The family-owned Jumbo's Sub and Pizza Shop, at 560 S. Yearling Rd. in Whitehall, closed in March after 35 years in business. Marshall's, 1105 W. 1st Ave. in Grandview Heights, closed over the summer after 37 years in business, after the owners announced their retirement from the restaurant industry.
Short North felt a few losses
Melt closed a location at 840 N. High St. in July due to staffing and operation costs, while an Easton location remains. Bar 23, 584 North High St., and DeVine Tastings, 958 N. High St., joined the restaurant in saying goodbye to the neighborhood.
Plant-based options called it quits
Vegan eatery Portia's Diner, at 3269 N. High St. in Clintonville, closed in late July, though a few of the diner's dishes migrated to Portia's Café, at nearby 4428 Indianola Ave.
CoreLife Eatery locations in Dublin, at 6195 Sawmill Rd., and Lennox, at 1791 Olentangy River Rd., closed this year, the latter the last remaining central Ohio location for the national chain specializing in health-conscious, customizable bowls and salads. Locations in the Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati and Toledo areas remain open.
Morrocan eatery Couscous House closed at 1611 Morse Road in early October in a loss for vegan eaters. The restaurant was quickly replaced with 614 Kabob, which offers Afghan cuisine.
And Thai fast-casual restaurant Buddha Bowl, 2973 N. High St. in Clintonville, closed in late November. The restaurant offered gluten-free and vegan options.
Meat-centric, seafood and sushi restaurants also closed
Columbus restaurant chain City Barbecue closed its Reynoldsburg location at 5979 E. Main St. temporarily in August, with a new location expected to open in its place, though a timeline for reopening has not been announced.
The month also saw Cleaver, at 1099 W. First Ave. in Grandview Heights, close its doors. Butcher & Grocer spinoff also closed its doors after two years, citing a lack of customers and an uncertain economy.
Frank's Fish and Seafood Carryout at 5249 Trabue Rd. on the Far West Side, Kintsugi Sushi Bar at North Market Bridge Park, Ashtyn's Seafood House at 1047 Polaris Pkwy., and closed their doors in late August. Frank's Fish and Seafood Market next door remains open, while Kintsugi closed so its owners could focus on new projects. Ashtyn's closed its doors permanently after first doing so in April, due to inflation and the labor market the restaurant said on social media.
Light of the Seven Matchsticks, Natalie's Worthington closed
Natalie's Coal-Fired Pizza in Worthington announced in September that it would close after 11 years, and with it, its basement speakeasy lounge Light of the Seven Matchsticks, in order to dedicate resources to its Grandview location. Light of the Seven Matchsticks closed in September, while Natalie's Worthington closed in November.
The Market, The Porch and The Little Kitchen shut down in September
In September, the high-end restaurant The Market Italian Village, which opened in 2014, closed at 1022 Summit St. and Venezuelan eatery The Porch Ohio, which opened in 2020, closed at 5808 Columbus Pike in Lewis Center.
The month also saw vegan eatery The Little Kitchen close at North Market Bridge Park. The restaurant, previously a food truck, opened at the food hall in 2021.
Veteran Columbus restaurant chains downsized
Tee Jaye's closed its location at 2435 Brice Rd., and Max & Erma's closed a location at 8050 E. Broad St., both in Reynoldsburg. The closures put Tee Jaye's at seven locations and Max & Erma's at one in central Ohio.
Papa Giorgio's closed its Clintonville location at 3027 Indianola Ave. after a little over a year, reducing the Columbus pizzeria's locations to one. The restaurant was quickly replaced by Pizza Pizza 007.
Other closures in the fall included Barra Tacos, which closed its sole central Ohio location at 3051 Northwest Blvd. in Upper Arlington in September. The Mexican eatery has two locations remaining, in Sandusky and Amherst, Ohio.Punk Pigs announced on social media that it was closing at 2515 Summit St. on campus after two years. The sandwich shop, known for its build-your-own grilled cheese and barbecue sandwiches, said it would "reincarnate in some form soon enough."
Noodle Topia closed at 7541 Sawmill Rd. in Dublin, after the business was suspended from making retail sales by the Ohio Department of Taxation, according to a sign on the restaurant's door. All signage for the restaurant has since been removed.
And Boston Stoker Coffee Co. closed its Thurber Village Shopping Center location at 771 Neil Ave. on Oct. 31. The location and other businesses closed in preparation for a Casto redevelopment project. The Dayton-based coffee roaster has one remaining central Ohio location, at 1101 W 1st Ave. in Grandview Heights.
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Nida's, The Dry Mill, others round out the year's closures
A few restaurants have announced their closures just ahead of the new year. Restaurant Nida's Thai on High announced it would close on Dec. 17 after more than 14 years in business at 976 N. High St. in the Short North. But customers will take comfort in knowing the eatery's stall in the North Market remains open.
Sober bar The Dry Mill closed after a year in business at 79 S. 4th St. Downtown, citing declining sales.
Aracri Pizzeria closed last month, at 1607 N. High St. in the University District. The pizzeria will be replaced by Slammie's on High, an offshoot of Slammers. Aracri Pizzeria now has one location, Aracri Pizzeria on Gay Downtown.
And LaSalle's Southern Kitchen & Bar quietly closed at 30 S. Young St. after less than a year in business. The restaurant served traditional Southern dishes, including pork chops, collard greens and wings. The location has been the home of several restaurants over the years, including The Inn Between, The Hungry Soul Café, Buckeye Chili & Smokehouse and Talita’s Burritos and Coneys.
tmoorman@dispatch.com
@TaijuanNichole
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Restaurants Columbus lost in 2022 include newcomers and old favorites
