Photo by ColumbusFoodie.com
The Columbus Dining scene is constantly changing, which means that new restaurants are always opening, and sadly, some restaurants end up closing. The national economic recession took quite a toll on many businesses throughout 2008 and 2009, and some were unable to recover from the financial loss. Below are eight local restaurants that we will miss the most after their 2009 departures.
8. Happy Greek – The second Happy Greek location opened at the South Campus Gateway in May of 2006, and has been through a turbulent three years. Early reviews were mostly positive, but less than a year after opening, the owners were accused of running a mortgage fraud scam out of their restaurant. The investigation continued through 2007 and one of the owners was arrested and charged in early 2008. The business came to a close in September 2009, when the doors were shut for good. The original Short North location remains open for business.
7. Wolfgang Puck Express – This fast casual chain entered the Columbus market in late 2004 at the newly renovated Shoppes at Lane Avenue. Reviews over the past five years were mixed, but generally positive. In October 2009, the general manager at the restaurant announced that they were closing with plans to relocate to a larger space. No location has been announced, and no reopening date has been set.
6. Rosendales – In late 2006, award-winning Chef Richard Rosendale announced that he would be opening his first restaurant in the Short North to quite a bit of local fanfare. Rosendales opened in March 2007 immediately hit the Dispatch Top 10 list in its first year and received plenty of additional praise. Rosendale went on to compete in the 2008 Bocuse d’Or, helping to place Columbus on the national culinary map. 2009 saw a series of menu changes and rebranding efforts to help combat the national recession’s impact on fine dining establishments, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to keep the business afloat. Chef Rosendale left town and his restaurant closed shortly afterward in October 2009.
5. Maca Cafe – The Maca Cafe was opened in Powell in 2007 by Norman and Susan Carmichael. Reviews were mostly positive, even enticing folks to drive quite a distance to visit. The owners recently announced that due to economic hardships, their closing day will be on December 19th at 9pm, so fans of Maca still have two more weeks to stop in for a last meal.
4. Thom’s on Grandview – Thom Coffman opened Thom’s on Grandview in early 2006 and quickly jumped onto the Dispatch Top 20 List. In 2007, Coffman revealed plans to renovate his other restaurant The Clarmont into an 8-story mixed-use development. The sagging housing market and recession has delayed those plans, but Coffman has continued to pursue them while putting Thom’s up for sale in July 2008 and turning the restaurant into a private event-only space in May 2009.
3. Trattoria LaTavola – Rick and Krista Lopez opened LaTavola in Powell in 1999, and later moved it to Riverside Drive in Dublin. Despite rave reviews, the couple closed the doors in February 2009. Rick and Krista are already hard at work on opening their next concept Knead Downtown near the North Market.
2. Details – Only a year after opening Rosendales in the Short North, Chef Richard Rosendale was ready to expand, and in July 2008, Details Minibar and Lounge was launched in space next door. The concept quickly became a Columbus Underground favorite for their more casual atmosphere and upscale take on bar food and classic cocktails. Unfortunately, when Rosendales closed in October, Details went along with it.
1. Handke’s – Chef Hartmut Handke may be one of the most nationally acclaimed chefs in the city of Columbus, and his restaurant was recognized several times as the top restaurant in all of Ohio by Zagat. In July 2008, Chef Handke sold the restaurant after being semi-retired from the business already. The national recession had an impact on all fine dining establishments, and the new owners attempted to combat this by launching Encore, an upscale small-plate bar business similar to Details, in March 2009. It wasn’t enough to keep the business running though, and Handke’s closed their doors in June 2009.