CINCINNATI — The owners behind a Hawaiian restaurant in downtown Cincinnati are set to open a tiki bar and grill in Over-the-Rhine.
The owners of Onolicious — Vincente “Vinny” Benedett, his wife, Elena, and cousin, Keawe Miller — are set to open 10th Island Tiki Bar & Grill near OTR's Ziegler Pool, 3CDC announced Monday.
The new bar, located at 213 Woodward Street, will be different from Onolicious, featuring tiki cocktails and traditional Hawaiian shaved ice. The bar's menu will also offer light food bites, such as burgers, sandwiches, mussels, calamari and other seafood-centric appetizers, 3CDC said.
10th Island is set to open sometime in June, 3CDC said.
"We're designing 10th Island to make you feel like you're on an island — not just during pool season, but all year long," Benedett said.
He said the bar's windows will actually be covered so you can't see in or out of the bar, and its decor will further play into the island vibe.
"We're here to spread happiness and joy through the food and culture we love, and I'm really looking forward to creating an entirely new concept that brings in a new crowd of people for us to share it with," Benedett said.
Benedett, his wife and his cousin opened Onolicious's brick-and-mortar space at the corner of Walnut Street and Court Street in May 2023. Prior to its downtown Cincinnati location, the restaurant ran a food stall at the now-defunct Oakley Kitchen.
Benedett was born and raised in San Francisco, but he lived with his best friend's family, who was from Oahu, during a tough time in his life. Benedett said they taught him about Hawaiian culture, the importance of sharing it with the world and how to cook the islands' favorite cuisine.
He said it's been his mission to spread Hawaiian culture and the "aloha spirit" to Cincinnati through food.
3CDC said Benedett's addition to the spot near Ziegler Park is an "ideal fit."
"Onolicious has been a great addition to Court Street Plaza, and we are confident that the Benedetts will transform this space into a Hawaiian oasis, bringing additional vibrancy to the area and adding to the eclectic mix of small businesses nearby," said Christy Samad, 3CDC's executive vice president of civic and commercial space activation.
