CINCINNATI — An Over-the-Rhine staple is closing up shop later this month.
Taft’s Ale House will shut its location on Race Street after eight years in the neighborhood. The brewer's Brewporium locations will remain open.
“The pandemic, a significant decline in tourism, and large increases in material goods costs have contributed greatly to this shutdown, but ultimately, Taft’s could not indemnify for the significant loss in sales since Covid began,” Erin Weinert, Taft's director of communications, wrote in a press release.
The Ale House is far from the only bar or restaurant to shutter in the area over the course of the last year.
WCPO asked restaurant owners downtown about what it’s like running a business in the area right now.
“Very difficult, almost relatively impossible,” said Anthony Sitek, chef and owner of Crown Restaurant Group.
The group operates five restaurants throughout downtown and Over-the-Rhine. Sitek said rising costs have been one of the biggest challenges.
“We spent $4,000 more on produce this Q3 than we did last Q3,” he said. “It’s really the same amount of product, if not less. That's just produce. We’re not talking about dairy, meat, flour, any of that stuff.”
Sitek said he also believes restaurants are battling misconceptions about safety downtown.
“There's a lot of obstacles we have to face,” he said. “There's going to be people that throw in the towel because there is no profit in this right now.”
Like Sitek, Craig Silverglade has also had a front-row seat to closures in the neighborhood. He owns Silverglades, a deli that’s been operating since 1922.
“I've seen a lot close earlier, change their hours, not open for lunch,” Silverglade said. “A lot of them have tweaked their hours and lowered their staff because of COVID.”
Silverglade said the pandemic took a lot of people out of downtown Cincinnati. He credited his deli’s success to its legacy and loyal customers.
The Ohio Restaurant Association said closures are happening less frequently than during the pandemic, but conditions remain difficult.
“According to the latest Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) Business Impact Poll, 70% of restaurants report dramatic food cost increases since January and 90% report increases in cost of labor,” John Barker, ORA president and CEO, said in a statement. “To offset the additional costs, 69% of respondents plan to raise menu prices again to simply break even.”
National Restaurant Association data shows consumer spending at restaurants increasing.
Sitek is optimistic.
“I just ask that people come down, support your local restaurants,” said Sitek. “That's the most important thing. We are the backbone of America. Not only restaurants but small retail. We are what drives the country.”
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