CINCINNATI – Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is the latest restaurant to announce plans to open at the The Foundry development at Fountain Square.
What You Need To Know
- Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse will relocate from its current Walnut Street location in late 2022.
- The Foundry is a $51 million mixed-use development that will feature retail and office space.
- It was announced in June that Royce, a French-leaning brasserie, will open in the spot that used to house Tiffany's.
The restaurant will relocate from its current Walnut Street location in late 2022, according to Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment (JRCE). It will occupy a street-level storefront along Vine Street directly across from Fountain Square.
The new location will become the JRCE’s flagship restaurant.
“Fountain Square is the iconic center of this amazing city,” said Jeff Ruby, founder and chairman of JRCE. “It’s where people go to get engaged, where we party after big wins, where we celebrate life. I’m honored that we will be able to add to its legacy and bring joy with world- class dining experiences.”
Ruby’s promises an elegant dining room as well as a furnished patio and multiple rooms for private events. The plans also call for a full-service bar and lounge with an elevated stage for live performances.
There will be valet parking, but the Foundry garage and the adjacent Fountain Square North garage are open to the public, per the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), the project developer.
“Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouses are an institution in Cincinnati, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting tenant for this essential space in our urban core,” said Adam Gelter with 3CDC. “The excitement generated at this new flagship Ruby’s location will be the perfect complement to the vibrancy across the street at Fountain Square.”
The eatery will take over a 12,000-square-foot space. The storefront once housed The Booksellers on Fountain Square.
The menu is not expected to change much when the business relocates. It will feature the same assortment of prime steak cuts and artisanal side dishes diners can find at the five Jeff Ruby's Steakhouses across the country.
Dylan Jones, a familiar name to JCRE, will take over as executive chef once the new restaurant opens. Jones, a Cincinnati native, currently serves as the executive chef at the Ruby’s location in Lexington, Ky.
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse is the second restaurant to announce plans to open at The Foundry, a $51 million mixed-use redevelopment of the former Fountain Place center.
In early June, Nashville-based restaurateur Terry Raley announced plans to open a new eatery, Royce, later this year. The French-leaning brasserie will take over the space formerly occupied by Tiffany’s.
Earlier in the summer, Turner Construction and Deloitte, Greater Cincinnati’s largest accounting firm, signed on to become the first office tenants. Turner is handling the build out of the new Ruby's location.
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse first opened on Walnut Street in 1999. It became one of the anchor businesses in the area now known as the Backstage District due to its proximity to the Aronoff Center.
After the move, JRCE plans to convert the existing restaurant space into a full-service event center that can set up to 250 guests. They’ll also use it for their new off-premise catering concept.
3CDC said the goal of The Foundry project is to better connect the area around the convention center with Fountain Square.
In total, it will feature 150,000 square feet of Class A office space spread across the second and third floors. There's also a total of about 35,000 square feet of street-level retail and restaurant space.
The project includes demolition and reconstructing the existing facade, skywalk removal and building improvements. It also includes expanding the sidewalks along Vine, Fifth and Race streets.