Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
OG Hospitality Group—owners of The Shack, The Corner Pub & Grill, and The Tavern—has decided to close its Tavern location at 392 N. Euclid in the Central West End. The last day of service will be on New Year’s Eve.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The Tavern's Surf n' Turf Trio
The flagship location in Valley Park (named SLM's Restaurant of the Year in 2011) will not only remain open, but the company also recently renewed the lease for an additional 10 years, says managing partner Brant Baldanza. The restaurant became renowned for its "tasting boards," mini courses of several items served on one board, entree-style.
Three years ago, OGHG decided to open a second Tavern location in the former Duff’s space after shuttering casual Italian restaurant Cucina Pazzo. At the time, Baldanza told SLM that much of The Tavern’s clientele “came from closer to the CWE” and that the group wanted to “make that experience more easily accessible.”
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
One of the interior rooms at of The Tavern Kitchen & Bar in the CWE.
It didn't quite turn out that way. While studying customer patterns at both locations, they discovered there was a lot of overlap: It turned out many patrons who lived closer to the CWE were still driving to Valley Park. The parking situation in the city had changed, Baldanza notes, which could have played a role: When a nearby funeral home changed ownership, the terms changed regarding its parking lot, which The Tavern had used for valet and employee parking. “Losing valet parking after having valet parking is rarely a good thing,” Baldanza says. "Valet is not an issue for casual concepts like Mission Taco next door. For finer dining, it is."
Since the group owns the CWE building along with developer Pete Rothchild, they proposed changing the concept yet again, to something more casual, perhaps a smaller version of The Shack or a “Mini Corner [Pub].”
But Baldanza says Rothchild had a different idea and gave OGHG the proverbial deal they couldn’t refuse. “We were doing OK at that location,” Baldanza says, “but the deal Pete proposed was way better than OK.”
Baldanza says that all Tavern employees will be offered a home at other OGHG locations and is proud of the fact that 450 new employees were hired this year, the company's busiest yet.
The restaurateur adds that more is in the works for 2019, such as a "hybrid Tavern" offshoot and a third, yet-to-be-announced Corner Pub location. “There’s a lot more in the works,” he promises.
