Is Crave next to close...

[Sandman]

Word I get from an industry insider is that Crave at the Banks (in Cincinnati) is on the verge of closing. Source has pretty solid connections in the Cincy restaurant scene so I give him more than fair credibility on issues like this.

 

If true, how many failed businesses does that bring the Banks up to? Seems like the area may not be the gold mine for all that it was thought to be.

 

I will say I hope the place doesn't close, for a variety of reasons. I like the Banks and the new Cincy riverfront area as a whole. We were in Crave on Tuesday night for dinner and the place was more empty than full. Actually 1/4 full at best. By the time we finished, we were the only people in the place.

 

Banks as a whole seemed pretty quite. Granted it was a week night and the Reds were out of town. But, it was before 9 pm. Morelein House seemed busy enough, Yard House looked fairly busy, but the other places even Jefferson Social were remarkably quite.

 

Unrelated note, the Orange Leaf down there closes at 7? If the place is ever hopping, why not stay open until 9 or 10 and take advantage of diners who may want a cup after their meal for a walk down by the river.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I don't know many people who head to The Banks just for dinner. There are folks who go for dinner and drinks, and there are folks who go for the bar scene only, but I don't think the development as a whole attracts the solely restaurant crowd very well. As their track record would show, it seems like you need to have a pretty major amount of your business coming from alcohol sales in order to cut the mustard there.

 

I'd be curious to know how Ruth's Chris is doing in their space at The Banks.

[rjs4470]

I have worked with several places in The Banks area, mostly the smaller places. And they've all said the same thing. They are busy the 90-100 days a year The Reds and Bengals are in town, or there's something else going on at GABP/PB stadium. The other 260 or so days a year, it's a struggle, especially in the winter. The only draws to the area aside from the stadiums are other restaurants. The area needs some other entertainment options to pull more people into the area to make the restaurant/bar pie larger on non-event days.

[MJAlltheWay24]

Can't say I've ever spent money at Crave. If I'm at the Banks, my money is typically spent at Yardhouse, Holy Grail, or Tin Roof...in that order.

[PutMeInCoach]

I've never ate there but it's a great place to use the restroom if you're down there partying.

[Capernicus41]

Their lunch crowd is a hit or miss and only been there once for dinner and it was in the winter but we might have been the only people there.

[rjs4470]

Their lunch crowd is a hit or miss and only been there once for dinner and it was in the winter but we might have been the only people there.

 

The period from December-March, aside from the 2-3 Sundays where there are Bengals games, is especially hard for the smaller places. Think about that....that's 1/3 of the year, where there is nothing going on, where you have little hope to have a big crowd and make any significant money.

[justsayin]

I've been to Crave for lunch on two different occasions (both times, it was a "treat" from a friend). Each time, it was relatively full, and I commented that I couldn't believe that many people spend $20-25 on lunch (I'm typically $5-8).

 

I can only assume the majority were business lunches that were being expensed.

[se7ens]

So, leaving out Jimmy John's and Orangeleaf, I would rank the current Banks tenants on success like this (Moerlien House is not technically considered part of The Banks, didn't know that):

1) Holy Grail (established name, best location, large but they use almost all the space and it is one of the three places that stay busy on weekends with no special events)

2) Tin Roof (Most of everything the Grail has going for it plus live music, cover may hurt sometimes and the space isn't nearly as great as the Grail)

3) Jefferson Social (the third of the actual bars, lacks in size but solid place and geared for a somewhat different crowd than the first two, like those 2 it can get crowded on non-special event nights but not to the same extent)

4) Yardhouse (I think it does enough business to be considered successful but not gangbusters, people like to go there which makes it enough of a destination to stay steady when there isn't an event)

5) Ruth's Chris (I really have no idea, I wouldn't be surprised if they were barely turning a profit, I just don't get the feel they are doing as well as they'd like)

6) Crave (that same doomed stretch as Toby's on the road, gets almost zero non-event business similarly to how Toby's didn't, both Crave and Toby's were remnants of the original tenants which included Whiskey Bar - could be considered out of place down there now and a dinosaur)

7) Santo Graal (the rookie, give it time but I don't see it lasting, especially if Crave and then Ruth's Chris go down, anyone actually been there? I've walked in but its almost always nearly deserted)

[UKMustangFan]

Santo Graal isn't going anywhere. It's basically an extension of the Holy Grail.

 

I'd put Yardhouse at the worst #2 . They do really well.

[MJAlltheWay24]

The period from December-March, aside from the 2-3 Sundays where there are Bengals games, is especially hard for the smaller places. Think about that....that's 1/3 of the year, where there is nothing going on, where you have little hope to have a big crowd and make any significant money.

 

Does Holy Grail get a decent crowd for UC games? Anyone know?

[UKMustangFan]

Does Holy Grail get a decent crowd for UC games? Anyone know?

 

Yes. Made the mistake of going there once last winter during a game. Completely packed.

[rjs4470]

Does Holy Grail get a decent crowd for UC games? Anyone know?

 

UC will be back playing at Nippert, so I would guess that's a few less events to drive business to the Banks this year. I really like The Banks, but I'm like many, if I'm not at a game, I really don't ever think about going down there, even though it's close.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

....

 

I eat at Crave for lunch on a regular basis and it is always full or nearly so.

 

I have eaten there for dinner on two occasions, once on a Saturday night with nothing big going on (3/4 full at least) and once with Hellbird and his wife before Elton John and it was over-flowing people and the wait for a table was over an hour at peak time.

 

If it is closing I will be shocked.

[plantmanky]

Its too expensive.