The co-owners of Downtown’s Market 65 are opening a spin-off restaurant this week. Veranico, or Indian summer, will offer a healthy alternative to the Arena District’s lunch crowd.
“We wanted to be considered a break in your day,” said co-owner Anthony Micheli.
Similar to Market 65, Veranico will serve in a fast-casual style throughout the day. Salads and sandwiches are still the staple menu items, but they’re adding a few elements, like paninis and grain bowls during the day and flatbreads at night, for the area’s event-goers. A bar offers three local brews on tap, a fridge full of more Ohio brews, and a wine list, and they’ve swapped in the fountain drink machine for pressed juices, house blended teas and seasonal lemonades.
Local baker Holly Schomberg, formerly of Laughlin’s Bakery in the Short North, helped assemble the menu. She’ll be creating from-scratch cookies and protein bars as well.
Catering to the local-conscious, Veranico is supplied by Ohio growers and producers. Gerber’s Poultry, from Kidron, provides their chicken; Premier ProduceONE, a Dayton distribution facility for the state’s farms, provides their produce; and they’re one of the first to work with Old Soul’s farm, out of St. Paris, for a lot of their greens.
“I worked in the Arena District for a little while,” said co-owner Patrick Katzenmeyer. “I think a healthy lunch option is what a lot of folks are looking for down there.”
Open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Veranico will certainly capitalize on the lunch crowd. Micheli said the hours, particularly for Saturday, are subject to change. With little left to do — uncover the windows, set up the menus, apply finishing touches — Veranico will open at 401 N. Front St. early this week.
For more information, visit veranicocolumbus.com.
