Boston Stoker opens; Eden Burger sued, must rebrand
Openings & Announcements
Boston Stoker Coffee Co. is open for business at 1101 W. First Ave. in Grandview, replacing Luck Bros’ Coffee House. The grand opening takes place Friday, April 1, with the first 100 customers receiving a free drink of their choice. Founded in 1973, the Dayton-based coffee roaster is planning another storefront in Shawnee Hills as part of the 14,175-square-foot Shawnee Station retail development. Meanwhile, with the Thurber Village shopping center headed towards redevelopment, the future of Boston Stoker’s Neil Avenue coffeehouse remains uncertain.
Gahanna-based brewery Heart State Brewing Co. has taken over the former Crafted Culture Brewing space at 505 Morrison Road. The taproom offers beer, liquor, wine, cider and food truck fare. Heart State’s production facility, located at 750 Cross Pointe Road in Gahanna, will remain in operation.
In a note posted to Eden Burger’s Instagram followers, co-founder Sebastian Kovach announced that the Campus-area vegan restaurant has been sued by Michigan-based Eden Foods for trademark infringement and will have to rebrand. The complaint was initially filed in October 2021. “In the meantime, staffing issues and the impacts of inflation are forcing us to temporarily reduce hours and/or close,” the post read. The burger spot will temporarily close starting Friday, April 1, with plans “to hire, renovate and regroup” before reopening.
The Worthington Farmers Market will return outdoors one month early because of construction at The Shops at Worthington Place, home to its indoor farmers’ market. The first outdoor market of the season takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 2, on High Street in Worthington. The market will continue every Saturday in April. The summer market season begins Saturday, May 7.
Closings
Delaware’s Speck Italian Eatery, one of Columbus Monthly’s 2019 Best New Restaurants, is preparing to relocate to Downtown Columbus. The restaurant at 15 E. Winter St., will close after its last dining service on Saturday, April 2. Speck’s owner, chef Josh Dalton, is expected to open another yet-to-be-named concept in the Winter Street space. Speck’s new landing spot is on the ground floor of The Nicholas, an apartment building at 12 W. Gay St. that is located across the street from Dalton’s fine-dining restaurant Veritas. Dalton aims to unveil the new Speck in July, barring any construction or inspection delays.
Pub Mahone (31 E. Gay St.) has officially closed its doors and the Irish pub’s contents are up for auction. The Gay Street area has experienced significant turnover since the pandemic began, with Plantain Café, Café Phenix Bistro, Belly Burger, Si Senor and Uptown 51 Kitchen + Bar all closing Downtown over the past two years. Newcomers to the area include Genjigo, Aracri Pizzeria (formerly Café Napolitana Pizzeria & Bar), Alley Burger and Aroma Restaurant.
Read More: Boston Stoker opens; Eden Burger sued, must rebrand