Columbus, Ohio USA
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Dis 'n' Data
By Margaret Marten, Editor
email margaret@shortnorth.com
July/August 2018
Harvey & Ed’s
Harvey & Eds. Photo© Joel Knepp Cameron Mitchell’s newest Short North restaurant, a delicatessen named Harvey & Ed’s, opened in June at 698 N. High St. in the old Rigsby’s Kitchen space that Kent Rigsby vacated over two years ago after 30 successful years in operation. The deli’s name, Harvey & Ed’s, pays homage to two relatives of the company’s president David Miller – his father and his uncle. Both are WWII veterans who exemplify the spirit of true deli patronage. The Cameron Mitchell Restaurant (CMR) group manages 30 locations with a variety of concepts, this new one bringing 4100 square feet of excellence in food preparation, service, and distinctive décor to a historical food favorite of European culture, the deli. Delicatessens have sprung from a number of cultural traditions. In the United States, many are Jewish, Italian, and Greek, both kosher and “kosher style.” Harvey & Ed’s offers both traditional and contemporary fare. Favorites include homemade matzo ball soup, popular deli-style sandwiches, smoked fish towers, and a broad range of nostalgic, chef-driven entrees. A deli case for carryout, table seating for 140, a full liquor bar and 7-day service offer something for everyone. Call 614-641-4040 or click on harveyandeds.com for more information.
Editor’s Note: Read Ralph and Jan Rosenfield’s restaurant review of Harvey & Ed’s in this issue on page 8.
White Castle
The White Castle building located at 965 N. High St. in the Short North closed a couple of years ago for redevelopment. The developer, Borror Properties, had predicted the demolition and rebuild would take about 18 to 20 months. It actually took a little longer. The building reopened in June after closing in July 2016.
The new structure, The Castle, evolved from a squat one-story structure into an eight-story behemoth mixed-use build for multiple retailers, offices and apartments. The restaurant situated within the complex on the ground floor is identified as a “flagship” White Castle (similar to the Donatos down the street), because it is the first-of-its-kind or a “test” concept for the business. For one thing, the placement within a multi-use building is a-typical. Another thing is that their menu and services have expanded. They’ve added a veggie slider, deli sandwiches, a side salad, beer and wine along with an open kitchen, mobile-order pickups, and order kiosks. The rear garage off W. 2nd Avenue has over 200 spaces, half allotted to the public, which can be reserved online at LAZParking.com. A separate lane into the garage serves as a drive-through for ordering at the White Castle.Penzone Salon + Spa
An upcoming resident of The Castle development on N. High Street will be newly named Penzone Salon + Spa, currently called Max The Salon, which is moving from its present location at 640 N. High St. (next to Brandt-Roberts Galleries). We can expect a late-fall opening. Not only will the salon’s name and location change but the concept will change as well. As a matter of fact, Charles Penzone, Inc. recently renamed and enhanced the services of all its salons. What was once called Max The Salon or The Grand Salon is now Penzone Salon + Spa. In addition to a dozen hair stations, the 3,000-square foot space in The Castle will feature two spa rooms, mani-pedi areas, the Beauty Zone and a Social Room. In other words, every conceivable state-of-the art service rendered by a salon/spa. The Penzone husband-wife team, Charles and Debbie, recently launched two other businesses in the neighborhood, both in Italian Village: Charles’s Royal Rhino Club Barbershop & Lounge and Debbie’s LIT Life + Yoga. Debbie is the president and CEO of Charles Penzone Inc. Her husband founded the company in 1969.Bishops Cuts/Color
Bishops Cuts/Colors Photo © Joel Knepp The Three Dog Bakery space is now inhabited by a hair salon that is actually named after the founder’s dog, Bishop, a St. Bernard-Rottweiler mix – dogwise, a suprising nod to the former tenant. Three Dog Bakery had quite a following within the local canine community. Bishop the dog, however, is no longer around, and actually lived in Portland, Oregon, where Leo Rivera launched Bishops Barbershops in 2001. What is now called Bishops Cuts/Color recently opened at 611 N. High Street in the Yukon Building on May 25 – its second location in Columbus.
Back when Rivera started Bishops, cheap cuts, no appointments and a street-style vibe were all it took to rapidly grow the business in the Northwest, although media accounts of Rivera in those early years describe a larger-than-life character and edgy risktaker, which may account for Bishops’ rapid success. Free beer became part of the hair-care packet.The Short North salon is operated by franchisee owner Kellie Wurtzman, a Westerville native now living in Upper Arlington with her husband, two daughters and three dogs. She also opened a Bishops in Clintonville last year – the first in Ohio. The unisex salon offers cheap cuts, no appointments, and an “unpretentious staff.” They also do color, straight razor shaves and facial hair grooming. Curated music videos play in a relaxed, artsy atmosphere of wood floors, exposed brick with a touch of tasteful murals. True to its founder, beer will eventually be offered in the Short North shop once the licensing is finalized. Open from early morning to evening (8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 6 p.m. on the weekends), they offer online check-in as well as walk-ins. Visit bishops.shortnorth on Facebook or the website bishop.co. Their phone number is 614-947-7990.
Warby Parker
Warby Parker, the newest eyecare-eyewear retailer on the block, joins last year’s newcomer, The Optical. Co and 18-year Short North veteran Columbus Eyeworks in providing fine eyewear in the Short North. Both Columbus Eyeworks and The Optical. Co were established as a practice for their founders who are eye doctors. Warby Parker, on the other hand, emerged as a retail business selling eyeglasses online, with a marketing dynamic allowing customers to try on pairs at home for free, later opening pop-ups, then storefronts with an optician on site. Over the past five years, WP has opened over 60 locations in North America and plans to nearly double that by the end of the year. Will that be enough? Maybe not. It could continue. More and more Warby Parkers. Warby Parker is located at 601 N. High St. next to the UPS store, where Le Chocoholique was in operation before closing last September. Visit www.warbyparker.com or call 614-745-8101 for more information.
Belgian Iron Wafel
Shops off the main thoroughfare do not attract attention as easily as those along High Street, so don’t forget to check out the side streets when visiting the Short North Arts District. Belgian Iron Wafel Co., a new artisan waffle shop, is scheduled to open at 19 W. Russell St. this summer once they complete a second-story mezzanine to allow for plenty of seating. They originally planned to open in 2017, but the construction process became tedious, said co-owner Aimee Harper in a recent email. “The delay has given us a huge opportunity to continue to develop our menu,” she added. “I’m in LOVE with one of the vegetarian dishes we have in development, and I can’t wait for everyone to try it.”Created Hardwood
Another business close to the Cap, on West Poplar, specializes in live edge wood furniture and decor. Created Hardwood opened in May where Ambushed hair salon operated for five years before moving to Gahanna. Dwain Hicks and his two sons, Jon, 46, and Phillip, 35, developed an interest in live-edge furniture only a few years ago; now it has become their life’s work and passion. Dwain retired from L.J. Smith Stair Systems in 1995, a stair parts manufacturer, where he acquired a working knowledge of wood, so it’s not surprising he found himself in a related field again. A few years ago, while starting an enterprise with a pair of Amish men to export raw wood slabs, it became apparent that the finished wood slabs had greater potential than the venture they were targeting. His Amish coworkers, skilled in woodwork, ushered him into the art of furniture making with the live-edge pieces. His sons joined the new venture, and the family eventually established commercial and residential work transforming slabs of wood into fine furniture – tables, chairs, countertops, island butcher blocks, as well as small items like cutting boards and knife or wine holders that highlight the wood’s beauty and natural form. They take pride in the fact that their workers are artisans who produce handmade products, each person contributing their particular touch and skill to the construction process. The company’s signature coin is applied to the final product, ensuring that the piece is expertly crafted. The manufacturing plant is in Dundee, Ohio. The storefront at 16 West Poplar Ave. is their first retail shop. They are open Tuesday through Sunday. If you can’t make it to the shop, visit www.createdhardwood.com to view the gallery. Their number is (330) 447-1780.
Other Openings
The space in The Jackson building vacated by Short North Fitness next to Skully’s is now occupied by the Jackson Creative Cooperative, a mix of retail and coworking space. Its current tenants are JE Fashion House and the leathergoods brand SEEL made by Jamie Seel.
Koulian Jewelers opened in June at 861 N. High where the Green Olive Company was before moving into the North Market over a year ago.
Mac’s Cafe at 693 N. High closed for six weeks and reopened after remodeling, rebranding, and retooling their menu. They changed their name to Mac’s, A Proper Pub.
In June, the yoga studio Thank Yoga at 29 E. 5th Ave. transitioned into Heartfelt Yoga. Heartfelt’s owner, Alice Gantman, simply decided to launch her own studio in the space once she learned that Thank Yoga was leaving.Departures
Ram Restaurant & Brewery, located on N. High at E. First Avenue, closed in June. It was the first Ohio location for the Lakewood, Washington-based chain, which opened about a year and a half ago in a two-story build that replaced the old Donato’s restaurant. With a rooftop patio, large dining space, and taproom, it seemed promising. Back in 2016, a local food-service industry consultant quoted in a Dispatch article about Ram’s plan to open stated that the Short North is “nowhere near saturation in brewpubs” and that “it’s a good location for such an enterprise.” The subsequent surge in craft breweries, proliferation of bars, and scurry of developers in the Short North, was apparently something he could not have known at that time. Ram’s second Ohio location in Dublin remains open.
After 18 years in business, Yoga on High (YOHI) will vacate 1081 N. High at the end of July and move to 1020 Dennison Avenue. The new “YOHI 1020” building with its distinctive blue tile roof is just two blocks west of High, at the intersection of Dennison and Starr avenues. YOHI had been using the site for periodic classes and events, and the new headquarters incorporates an expansion on the third floor. The last class at the High Street location will be Sunday, July 29 from 10-11 a.m., an open class with a suggested $20 donation, taught by Marcia Miller and Michele Vinbury. The meeting will be followed by a procession to YOHI 1020 to carry the energy over to the new space. A special ceremony (puja) will be held once they arrive, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Maria Galloway and her husband Michael Secrest outside their gallery the last day of operation in the Short North store on June 30, 2018. Photo ©Gus Brunsman III After 38 years in business, pm gallery, the oldest gallery in the district, closed their brick-and-mortar location at 1190 N. High St. on June 30 in anticipation of transitioning into an online-only business, specializing as they do now, in fine American crafts, and relocating to Florida for retirement. Their original store was at Buttles and N. High where they helped launch the first Gallery Hop and anchored the south end for 32 years before moving up the street. As for the decision to close, owner Maria Galloway says “economic challenges, neighborhood changes and personal issues combined to make this the best time for us to retire. We have loved our time here, making a difference in the neighborhood and in the city. We will miss it all, but hope to start a new chapter, shaking it up in the Long South.”
SEE ALSO: NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS/NEWS (SELECT WRITEUP)
Email margaret@shortnorth.com or call 614-251-0656 with neighborhood news items for the Short North Gazette.Email the Editor margaret@shortnorth.com
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