Your Favorite Restaurants Need Your Support

Recently two beloved local restaurants, one in Downtown Cincinnati and one in Over-the-Rhine, announced they would be closing their doors at the end of the year. Fausto first occupied the lobby at the Contemporary Arts Center in 2019, and Pleasantry was a trailblazer in Over-the-Rhine when they opened 7 years ago. Both cited numerous reasons for closing, and both also expressed regrets that they couldn’t continue on for their steadfast supporters.

We all understand, of course, the difficulty of operating a restaurant any time. Add to that the post-pandemic challenges of staffing issues, supply chain issues, and inflation, and it’s plain to see how the problems multiply. Perhaps these two had location issues with Fausto in a huge space at a museum and Pleasantry off the beaten path on a mostly dark side street in OTR. Or perhaps they are just victims of a situation where diners have too many choices and not enough time (and money) to support the hundreds of worthy restaurants in our region.

Browsing through my notes from the last ten years, I am reminded of some of my favorite restaurants that used to be included in our Cincinnati Food Tours but no longer exist. Among those were Panino, Kaze, The Counter, Quaintrelle Confections, Sartre, Harvest Pizzeria, Boombox Buns, O Pie O, Le’s Pho, and Bay Horse Cafe. Each were there one day and gone the next.

I have no answers as each closing is unique. What I can say is that Cincinnati Food Tours will continue to support as many local businesses as possible as we introduce them to new potential customers with each of our tasting experiences. However, it is up to you, and me personally, to return and support these locally-owned small businesses. When they are gone, they are gone.