OBERLIN, Ohio — A northeast Ohio man is turning his dream of owning a restaurant into reality.

What You Need To Know

  • Ulmann has worked in the restaurant business since he was 16 years old

  • Bella Luna means beautiful moon

  • "Bistro Bella Luna" gets its ingredients from local farms

Chef Robert Ulmann has done it all during his 40 years in the restaurant business.

"Started bussing, enjoying the business, enjoying the people I was working with, got into cooking and enjoyed that and keep doing it over years and years," he said. 

Now he finally has his place.

It's named after a restaurant he worked at nearly 30 years ago, Bistro Bella Luna. It's no longer around, but the memories Ulmann created there inspired more than the name he chose for his first restaurant. 

"We are serving a European style bistro, a little bit of Italian, a little bit of French and American. I worked a lot of high-end restaurants charging a lot for food. I wanted to bring that food here and charge moderate prices so everyone can enjoy top-notch food," said the chef. 

Bistro Bella Luna gets its ingredients from local farms so people know their food is fresh.

"That is what Oberlin expects. They expect good food, organic food, hydroponic greens, fresh, and that's what I decided to do," said Ulmann.

At age 56, most people are thinking about retirement, but not Ulmann.

Instead, he's working harder than ever because it's his place.

"I worked for many corporations. Much stress and I wanted to do it for myself, my last 10 years," said Ulmann.

Ulmann said the next phase for his restaurant will be catering his meals for special events.