Search results for 'Cocktail bar Cleveland founder'

west side market defying trend of waning markets
In a Salon article titled “Fight the farmers market backlash!” Henry Grabar outlines the fate of traditional central markets, which sadly are becoming a dying breed.
 
Long the heart, soul and larder for every great city on the planet, central marketplaces are vanishing from modern life.
 
"As wholesale markets were reimagined, a parallel shift occurred in retail food delivery, as one-stop-shops replaced butchers and bakers, and supermarkets absorbed the customer base of traditional markets. Now, online shopping in turn is eroding the support of brick-and-mortar groceries. Urbanites have fewer encounters with the food supply today than at any point in history.
 
Bucking that trend is the West Side Market.
 
“That’s not to say that permanent, public markets are a thing of the past. Those that have survived, like Cleveland’s West Side Market, have ridden the current wave of popularity through financial difficulties.”
 
Read the complete article here.

atlantic tells story of maron family and east fourth
In a recent The Atlantic piece titled “If You Build It, They Will Come: How Cleveland Lured Young Professionals Downtown,” writer Sophie Quinton tells the story of how the Maron family transformed a vision into the East Fourth Street Clevelanders know and love today.
 
"When the Maron family decided to redevelop an entire city block in downtown Cleveland, the area was so blighted no restaurateur would lease space there. A decade later, the East Fourth neighborhood is home to Food Network personalities, a House of Blues, and free Saturday yoga classes. Café-style seating spills into the pedestrian-only street. Apartments on the block are fully leased, and a 100-unit building under construction across the street has already reached full capacity."
 
The article discusses at length the history of the Maron family and the work it took to get the project off paper and onto the street. All the hard work has paid off as East Fourth Street has become a major attraction, with quality restaurants, store fronts, activities, and downtown living that is luring young professionals who want to live and work in the middle of all the action.
 
Enjoy the full piece here.

study shows small startups have huge economic impact on the region
An annual study conducted by CSU’s Center for Economic Development at the Levin College of Urban Affairs shows that start-up companies in Northeast Ohio contribute significantly to the economy. The study surveyed tech-based companies that received assistance, either financially or in services, through JumpStart or the North Coast Angel Fund.
 
The 127 companies who participated in the study generated $211 million in economic benefits in Northeast Ohio in 2012, $270 million state-wide. These companies helped create and retain 1,100 in-state direct jobs, with a total Ohio employment impact of 2,140. The companies and their suppliers also increased total Ohio household earnings by $125 million and contributed nearly $12 million in state and local tax impact.
 
As the early-stage companies grow, their impact increases, according to the study. Among those surveyed, 44 companies participated over three years -- from 2010 to 2012, showing 53 percent job growth and a 36 percent increase in economic impact over those three years.
 
“These numbers quantify the impact small companies made,” says Cathy Belk, JumpStart COO. “Small companies make a big difference.  It’s exciting to see the impact the companies we see every day are having. We see how hard these companies are working.”
 
With all of the organizations in Cleveland that support start-ups, in addition to support from Ohio Third Frontier, which provides funding to organizations like JumpStart, the region is ideal for new businesses.

“We continue to believe that Northeast Ohio is the best place in the country to have a small business or a new business,” says Belk. “We have such a robust ecosystem for startups and small business.”

 
Source: Cathy Belk
Writer: Karin Connelly
welcome weekend draws a dozen artists ready to sign leases, move here
Welcome to Cleveland, an artists' visitation weekend hosted by Northeast Shores CDC and the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, drew about a dozen artists to Cleveland, many of whom have signed leases and are expected to move here.

"The weekend exceeded our expectations by far," says Brian Friedman, Executive Director of Northeast Shores. "We didn't know they'd be so ready to go."

The artists were impressed not only by Cleveland's affordability but also by the accessibility of the rich arts scene here, Friedman says. "For them it was really the connectedness -- there's a much stronger ability for artists to network and connect here than in many of the communities where they're from."

The artists came from Brooklyn, Boston and Atlanta, among other locations. They were responsible for getting to Cleveland, but the nonprofit partners put them up in a hotel and covered most of their costs once they got here. The group spent the weekend on a whirlwind tour of North Collinwood, Slavic Village, St. Clair Superior, Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway. Activities included a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art and brunch at the Beachland Ballroom.

Northeast Shores and CPAC marketed to 12,000 artists nationally for the Artist-in-Residence program. Friedman says that since launching the effort a few years ago, he's seen 83 artists move to Cleveland, open a business, or do a project here.

Some of the artists who responded to the visitation weekend weren't sure if it was real. "They weren't sure if we would try to sell them a timeshare," says Friedman. "We told them, 'Really, just come. We want you to come be creative in Cleveland.'"

Once the artists move here, the nonprofit partners will help connect them to arts organizations and community efforts in their new neighborhoods. "We'll make sure that they get connected to the fabric of what's going on," says Friedman. "We anticipate that's the beginning of developing deeper roots in Cleveland."


Source: Brian Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
bruell's new burger shack dynomite debuts in star plaza at playhousesquare
Zack Bruell used to watch PlayhouseSquare office workers sit outside at Star Plaza and eat sandwiches in the park. He thought, They could be my customers. Now, thanks to Dynomite, a new fast-casual burger shack in the Star Plaza kiosk, many of them are.

During its first week, Dynomite frequently had lines 30-people deep and ran out of hamburger buns by 3 p.m. (don't worry, they ordered more). Bruell hopes this is an omen.

"I was basically opening it so that we could bring more people to the area," says the restaurateur, who owns five other venues in Cleveland (Parallax, Chinato, Table 45, Cowell and Hubbard, L'Albatros). "I wanted to see more street traffic. This is one of the great neighborhoods in the city, and it's in transition."

You can think of Dynomite as a kind of Zack Bruell burger clearinghouse. Modeled after the legendary Shake Shack in New York City, the venue offers four kinds of burgers that are also available at Parallax, L'Albatros, Chinato and Cowell and Hubbard. Each is different and unique. Additionally, Dynomite offers a killer chicken sandwich, regular burger, vegan burger, hot dog and chili dog.

Sides include fries, chili fries, chili, pickles and soft serve ice cream. The most expensive things on the entire menu are the signature burgers, which are priced at $8.

"We're just doing basic food, but we're doing it right," says Bruell. "We're using the same products that we're working with in all of our restaurants."

Dynomite will soon have a full liquor license. Bruell expects the revamped Star Plaza -- which is nearly complete and includes additional outdoor seating, a fire pit and concert stage -- to look and function like a downtown beer garden.

The venue is the latest addition to PlayhouseSquare, which has in recent years been evolving into a dining destination and vibrant 24-7 neighborhood.


Source: Zack Bruell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
artvoice explores downtown population growth in rust belt cities
In an ArtVoice article titled "A Good Mystery," writer Bruce Fisher explores the trend of downtown population growth in Rust Belt cities like Cleveland, Buffalo and Detroit.
 
"The key to Cleveland’s micro-rebound is a spike in the number of people between 22 and 34 who are choosing to live there. Downtown Cleveland leads the inner core’s “brain gain” movement -- even though that age group is declining in metro Cleveland, just as it’s declining in metro Buffalo. But that’s not the story in downtown, which is a net importer of young adults."
 
"This is the phenomenon that is also occurring in Detroit, and in Buffalo, and in other Rust Belt cities that are experiencing varying degrees of central-city rebound."

Read it all right here.

seventh healthcare organization joins cleveland clinic healthcare alliance
Cleveland Clinic Innovations (CCI) announced last month that Wisconsin’s Marshfield Clinic Applied Sciences is the seventh clinic to join the Clinic’s Healthcare Innovation Alliance. The collaboration will help Marshfield develop and commercialize its innovations and improve healthcare.
 
The alliance, formed two years ago based on CCI’s 13 years of experience, is a way for the Clinic to share its knowledge while also improving upon its reputation within the healthcare industry. In Marshfield’s case, the Clinic is hiring a senior commercialization officer who will be embedded in Wisconsin.
 
The officer will help to advance diagnostic tools and treatments created by Marshfield Clinic physicians, researchers and staff. The Innovation Alliance also will foster the transfer of Marshfield Clinic technology into commercialization.
 
“It’s about getting the technology quickly to the patient,” says Brian Kolonick, associate general manager of the Innovation Alliance. “It’s all collaboration, these are not bilateral relationships. We look for ways to collaborate, to share knowledge.”
 
There are 65 Clinic employees working within the alliance. “If someone in the alliance has an idea, we get a person on the ground there,” says Kolonick. “We find the right person with the right expertise. It’s getting the right people to the table.”
 
Conversely, the Clinic also learns about what other researchers are doing around the country. “We’re about going in there and getting fresh ideas, flushing them out and commercializing them,” says Kolonick. “It’s about getting in there and shaking trees.”
 
The Innovation Alliance gets a percentage of the revenues from any idea that goes to market.
 

Source: Brian Kolonick
Writer: Karin Connelly
young companies and startups aid both local and state economies
In a Techli story titled “Greater Cleveland Startups Improve Ohio With Jobs, Tax Dollars and Impact,” writer Annie Zaleski explores how important startups and young companies are to the success of a region’s economy.
 
In a study from Cleveland State University, a report found that 127 young companies generated $270 million in economic benefits for Ohio in 2012 alone.
 
“The companies in the report -- a group comprised of businesses that successfully leveraged things such as business assistance or seed capital -- helped create and retain 1,100 in-state direct jobs (with a total Ohio employment impact of 2,140). In the last three years, these very young companies are already contributing significantly -- more than $688 million -- to Ohio’s economy.”
 
The story goes on to discuss that the figures only represent a small portion of development in the region and do not encompass all of Northeast Ohio. Taking that into account, the importance of startups and young companies on the economy becomes even more significant.
 
Enjoy the full piece here.
urban-oriented families: as school choices increase, so too does the number of parents choosing city
From Gordon Square to North Collinwood, a definite shift is occurring among young homebuyers, who increasingly are choosing to raise families in the city. Thanks to phenomenal amenities and a growing roster of good schools, Cleveland is becoming downright kid-friendly!
literary lots will bring characters to life in an underused ohio city park
Currently, visitors to the Carnegie-West branch of the Cleveland Public Library find an underutilized park across the street. But soon they'll stumble upon a literary wonderland of peanut butter sandwich boats with sails, spaghetti tubes and a stone soup mural.

Inspired by children's books, a love of reading and the ambition to bring families and community members together, Literary Lots will kick off Saturday, August 3rd in Novak Park in Ohio City and run for two consecutive weeks.

"This idea started with saying, 'We have a great anchor in the library, books are inspiring and we want an educated, engaged community,'" says Kauser Razvi, an Ohio City parent who has served as Project Manager for Literary Lots. "Tons of kids come to the library. Let's do this work together and offer it in a single place."

"Hopefully soon, the park is a place where people stop and say, 'What are those three sandwich boats doing there?' says Razvi, an urban strategist. "Then they want to come in and take part in a poetry slam or start doing some spaghetti art."

Programming will be offered daily at Novak Park, which is located north of Lorain on W. 38th, including art and writing events, author nights and movie nights.

The idea behind the event is to engage kids and families in reading and building a sense of community together. "The city needs to do more things for kids and families, because that's how you're going to help the city grow," says Razvi.

Project partners include Cleveland Public Library, Ohio City Writers, Art House and LAND Studio. Funders include The Cleveland Colectivo, Councilman Joe Cimperman, Neighborhood Connections and the George Gund Foundation.

Literary Lots will kick off this Saturday with community mural painting with artist Julia Kuo. Community members will help illustrate the classic story Stone Soup.


Source: Kauser Razvi
Writer: Lee Chilcote
weekend escape plan for cleveland
In its regularly occurring travel feature "The Five-Point Weekend Escape Plan," New York magazine highlighted a contemporary arts-focused trip to Cleveland. Titled "See Cutting-Edge Contemporary Art in Cleveland," the article touches on where to stay, where to eat, what to do and other insider tips.
 
"This Rust Belt city is transforming into a thriving art hub thanks to two stunning new museum openings and a growing number of galleries," the article states.
 
Featured within is the Cleveland Hostel: "which feels more like a hipster haven than a grungy dorm."
 
Ginko: "Be wowed by extra-large cuts of exotic sushi."
 
The Transformer Station: "The original brickwork and chains contrast with a new addition made of dark-gray polished concrete, providing an industrial-chic setting for shows."
 
Steve's Lunch, "a 24-hour greasy spoon opened in 1953."
 
Explore the rest of the itinerary here.

campbell's sweets set to open new store in lakewood, plotting more expansion
Campbell's Sweets, a homegrown business that has three stands at the West Side Market and a store on W. 25th Street, is set to explode across Cleveland, with an additional shop in Lakewood, a production facility in Slavic Village and an east side store in the works.

"It's been two years this August since we opened the W. 25th Street store, and it's gone really well," says owner Jeff Campbell. "We predicted that we'd steal business from our market stands, but that hasn't happened. Last year, we grew 40 percent from 2011 to 2012. This year, we're headed to do that again."

In Lakewood, Campbell's will soon occupy a corner storefront at Detroit and Warren Roads. The 2,000-square-foot store will feature a tin ceiling, clay brick display wall, open production area and upcycled doors. The exterior will feature eye-catching new awnings with pictures of popcorn and cupcakes. Big storefront windows will allow passersby to see into the facility.

Campbell intends to open the store this fall. Although he's put a possible University Circle location on hold until he proves out the Lakewood store, he's actively looking for a production facility on Fleet Avenue in Slavic Village. "We're outgrowing our W. 25th space and it's challenging to keep up," he says. "We can still double our production, but we're headed to five to six times our production in the next 12 to 18 months. Fleet Avenue has us very intrigued because of the redevelopment happening there in 2014 [with the streetscape]."

Campbell's also now sells its popcorn in seven Giant Eagle stores, where it's visibly displayed in the fruit and produce area. Yet the Market District of Ohio City always will remain home. "Ohio City is the nucleus and we grow out," he says. "We're not going to go way out [into the suburbs] until we've saturated our market here."


Source: Jeff Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
clinic gets world's most powerful mri to 'see things you've never seen'
After more than a two year wait and construction of its very own building, the Cleveland Clinic took delivery of and installed an A-7 Tesla full-body MRI on Friday. It is the only one of its kind in Northeast Ohio, and one of only about a dozen in the country.
 
While the 1.5 Tesla MRI is more common, and the Clinic even has several 3 Tesla MRIs, the 7 Tesla provides a better look, even down to the cellular level. “It has special resolution where we can actually see much finer detail than a 3 Tesla or 1.5 Tesla,” says Mark Lowe, director of high field MRI at the Clinic. “With this higher special resolution you can see things you’ve never seen before.”
 
The MRI will be used for neuroscience research into disorders such a multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. The finer detail will allow researchers to see focal dysplasia in epilepsy patients, or greater vascular detail in angiography. The acquisition of the new machine created two new jobs, with the potential for more future jobs with grant funding.
 
“The bottom line is, for years MRI has been very good at imaging soft tissue contrast, but it’s not as good in spatial resolution,” says Lowe. “This provides that spatial resolution.”
 
It was no easy task to get the 40-ton machine to Cleveland. Lowe and his team secured funding for the $10.5 million endeavor two and a half years ago. It was scheduled for delivery in December. But a shortage of helium, which is used to cool the MRI magnet, caused further delays.
 
The 7 Tesla is housed in a specially constructed building next to the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis. The roof was lifted off the building to lower the MRI into place, which also comes with 350 miles of superconducting wire.

 
Source: Mark Lowe
Writer: Karin Connelly
is cleveland on the right path when it comes to matters of transportation?
City of Cleveland officials and non-profit leaders are taking notice of how an improved cycling infrastructure can reshape the future of our city for the better. How the city proceeds with a handful or projects could make or break our momentum.
blogger shares kid-friendly 'cle summer bucket list'
For 10 years, my husband and I have called Ohio City home, where we are now raising our three young children. This summer, Team Taseff created a “Cleveland Summer Bucket List,” which includes 10 places and activities to explore in Cleveland that are free, fun and close to home.
collinwood couple launches new gallery for emerging artists on waterloo
John Farina and Adam Tully have been collecting art for years, and like many collectors, they've always wanted to open a gallery to showcase work of artists they love. That idea will become a reality next month as The Maria Neil Art Project opens up on Waterloo.

"There are a lot of artists in Cleveland who are either unrepresented or underrepresented," says Farina, who also recently bought a home in North Collinwood with Tully. "This work should be known. Having a space with low overhead, we can show off emerging artists that haven't been shown off before."

The cozy gallery at 15813 Waterloo will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting September 6th. The first exhibition will feature artist Michaelangelo Lovelace, known for his gritty, whimsical portraits of street life in the city. Frameworks in Bedford, a framing shop, will offer framing in the space.

Farina says that the Waterloo Arts District is definitely becoming known as a good community for artists, with multiple galleries now located on the street, artists buying houses in the neighborhood and arts groups setting up shop here.


Source: John Farina
Writer: Lee Chilcote
npr takes close look at cleveland's image
In an NPR story titled “Making Sense Of Cleveland’s Good And Bad News,” Nick Castele writes of the national attention Cleveland has gotten due to its recent high-profile crimes.
 
Castele shares Colette Jones of Positively Cleveland’s thoughts on our fair city as she states, "I think most people have outdated perceptions of Cleveland. Most people don't really know much about the city. I think the things they see typically relate back to what they see on television, whether it has to do with our sports teams or something else like that."
 
While some feel a changed image will be the entire fix Cleveland needs to become a booming town again, others are not so optimistic.  Focus still needs to be placed on poverty, vacancy, and dwindling populations.
 
Check out the full feature here.
university circle development praised in ny times
In a New York Times travel story titled “Culture Blooms in Cleveland,” Ceil Miller Bouchet writes of Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood and how it is experiencing a “cultural renaissance” of sorts. 
 
“More art-centric expansion is to come, with the Cleveland Institute of Art breaking ground last month on the 80,000-square-foot George Gund Building, which will house the Cinematheque art-house film theater as well as galleries and classrooms.”
 
Bouchet goes on to explain it is not just large-scale expansion that is causing this revival but also a thriving business district and refurbished galleries mixed in with city icons such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Botanical Garden, and Severance Hall.
 
Check out the full tribute to the neighborhood here.

got to get down to hingetown: introducing ohio city's next hot block
Over the next few months, a handful of next-gen businesses will begin to open in the Striebinger Block, a prominent building at the intersection of Detroit and W. 29th. Billed as the Hingetown development, the project will act as the hinge between existing Cleveland assets like Ohio City, Gordon Square, and downtown.
huffpo calls attention to cle-area national park
In a Huffington Post travel feature titled “America’s Best Secret National Parks,” writer Alex Pasquariello explores the top national parks not named Yosemetie, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and the Great Smoky Mountains. 
 
“While the masses migrate to the most popular destinations, smart travelers can have the lesser-known (not necessarily smaller: Wrangell-St. Elias is bigger than Switzerland) parks all to themselves. Many offer comparable scenery, and you can avoid traffic, lines and other impediments to enjoyment.”
 
Cuyahoga Valley National Park ranks among the top parks in the country due to its scenic hiking trails, 15-foot waterfall, and 20,339 acres that follow along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron.
 
Enjoy the full story here.