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    9 Recent Restaurant Closures Across Columbus

    Central Ohio is seeing a wave of restaurant closures to wrap up 2022. From long-standing local gems to national chains, and years to months in operation, the dining scene departures are coming from a variety of spots.

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    Nida’s Thai on High

    After 14 years, Nida’s Thai on High will say goodbye to the Short North. The restaurant at 976 N. High St. will close on December 17.

    The long-standing eatery, which opened in 2008, has seen the neighborhood through many changes.

    “To our delight, we opened with fanfare to a warm, enthusiastic reception on a part of High Street that was much quieter and less populated than it is today,” a post announcing the closure read. “We have grown with our neighborhood.”

    Nida’s offered a wide-ranging menu of Thai dishes as well as sushi.

    “It is extremely difficult to call it quits, but Thai food is not easy to make and make well,” the post continued. “Given the challenges, especially at a time when staffing is awfully hard to maintain, the moment has arrived for this chapter in our lives to end. We do not want to fall short of what our guests deserve and have come to expect by being unable to live up to our vision.”

    While the standalone restaurant says goodbye, Nida’s location within North Market Downtown will remain open.

    For more information, visit thaionhigh.com.

    CoreLife Eatery

    CoreLife Eatery abruptly closed its doors at Lennox Town Center, 1791 Olentangy River Rd., as of December 1.

    “Today our hearts are heavy as we announce that we will be closing our doors for the last time,” a post from the restaurant read. “It has been a privilege to serve our community, and we have loved being a part of your lives over the years.”

    With the Lennox closure, CoreLife Eatery no longer has any restaurants in the Columbus market. Since 2016, CoreLife opened and closed three additional restaurants in Central Ohio on Lane Avenue near campus, in Dublin and at Polaris.

    For more information, visit corelifeeatery.com.

    Buddha Bowl

    Build-your-own Buddha Bowl closed at 2973 N. High St. in Clintonville. The restaurant marked a move into fast-casual for Owner Rhome Ruanphae, who is also behind Thai restaurant Basil.

    After opening September 2021, Buddha Bowl closed last month, “due to lack of staffing overall across my locations of Buddha Bowl and Basil,” Ruanphae said.

    The Buddha Bowl team will move to the Basil location in Upper Arlington, which had been temporarily closed due to staffing and the potential redevelopment of the site.

    For more information, visit buddhabowl.com.

    Buddha Bowl – Photo by Susan Post

    The Dry Mill

    After a seven-month run, Columbus’ first and only sober bar has closed it doors.

    The Downtown bar at 79 S. Fourth St. celebrated its grand opening on April 30 before announcing via social media on December 4 that it had closed.

    “The past few months sales have declined and we cannot continue to operate the business based on the current levels of customers we are receiving,” The Dry Mill shared on Facebook. “As owners of the business we take full responsibility and have to make the difficult decision to close.”

    As a sober bar, The Dry Mill offered an extensive lineup of mocktails, NA beers and other alcohol-free beverages, along with a menu of classic bar fare.

    “We witnessed people get sober in our building. Our purpose was to help those who are sober or didn’t want to be around alcohol, and give them an environment where they felt safe,” the post continued. “Meeting each of you and learning your stories is the reason we opened The Dry Mill. Continue to normalize sobriety and give a helping hand to those in need.”

    Owners David Payne and Colin Thomas said they hope The Dry Mill can return in the future and open its doors again.

    For more information, visit thedrymill.com.

    LaSalle’s Southern Kitchen & Bar

    Another Downtown restaurant has also closed after less than a year in business. LaSalle’s Southern Kitchen & Bar shut its doors at 30 S. Young St.

    The restaurant opened in mid-January touting Southern fare and live music. Signs posted on the restaurant’s doors say it is closed and the restaurant’s website is no longer active.

    A request for comment on the closure has not been returned at the time of publishing.

    LaSalle’s Southern Kitchen & Bar – Photo by Susan Post

    Aracri Pizzeria (Campus)

    Aracri Pizzeria has gone from two locations to one.

    The campus-area pizza joint at 1607 N. High St. closed after just over a four-year run. Owner Palmo Aracri shuttered the doors to work less and spend more time with his family, he says.

    It’s been a year of shake-ups for the long-standing family pizzeria. Earlier this year, the Aracris moved Downtown’s Cafe Napolitana around the corner to Gay Street and rebranded as Aracri Pizzeria. The Downtown location remains open.

    For more information, visit aracripizzeria.com.

    Natalie’s Worthington

    Mid-November brought the end of Natalie’s Coal-Fired Pizza & Live Music, 5601 N. High St. in Worthington. The neighborhood mainstay celebrated 10 years over the summer before announcing in September that it would wind down operations to focus on its second location near Grandview.

    “To our loyal Worthington community and music lovers throughout, it’s never easy to make these kind of decisions, especially when it’s a place that means so much to so many people, but the next chapter for us is at 945 King Ave. where our story continues,” a social media post read.

    Natalie’s opened its second, larger location in Fifth by Northwest in December 2019.

    Accompanying basement speakeasy The Light of Seven Matchsticks closed in mid-September after five and a half years. The equipment from both business and the building’s liquor permit are currently listed for sale.

    For more information, visit nataliesgrandview.com.

    Natalie’s Worthington – Photo by Susan Post

    Phillip’s On Wheels

    Food truck Phillip’s On Wheels will no longer be rolling through the streets of Columbus.

    “After 110 years we have made the difficult decision to close down Phillip’s On Wheels food truck,” a post announcing the closure read. “We appreciate the continued patronage and the opportunity to serve the Columbus community throughout the years!”

    Phillip’s Coney Island was a Franklinton mainstay for many years before the redevelopment of their former home at 450 W. Broad St. put the long-standing business on wheels.

    For more information, visit phillipsonwheels.com.

    The Pit BBQ Grille (Clintonville)

    According to an online listing, The Pit BBQ Grille has closed its restaurant in Clintonville and the business’ assets are up for sale.

    The restaurant at 4219 N. High St. reportedly closed on November 4. Initially opening in January 2021, it was the last standalone restaurant for the BBQ joint as it has shifted to a food hall model.

    The Pit currently has a location at North Market Bridge Park and a pop-up at Budd Dairy Food Hall, with plans to open at East Market in the Trolley District as well as Bubbly Hall in New Albany.

    The Pit has not yet commented on the closure and the location is still listed on the restaurant’s website, however it states “We’re sorry, this store is not accepting online orders at this time.”

    For more information, visit thepitcolumbus.com.

    The Pit BBQ Grille Clintonville – Photos by Susan Post
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    Susan Post
    Susan Post
    Susan is the editor of The Metropreneur and associate editor of Columbus Underground, and also covers small business and entrepreneurial news and the food scene in Central Ohio.Susan holds a degree in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing from The Ohio State University. She sits on the board of the Central Ohio Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and loves coffee, whiskey, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
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