CINCINNATI — Chef Danny Combs has spent the past 12 years honing his skills in two of the top fine-dining kitchens in Cincinnati.

Now, the food industry veteran is using all he’s learned and opening his own spot — a French-inspired concept called Colette — in one of Over-the-Rhine’s most desirable locations.

Combs leased a 3,600-square-foot space at the corner of 14th and Race streets across from Washington Park. The site in Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC)’s Saengerhalle development formerly housed Zula Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Chef Danny Combs spent about a year looking for the right location before settling on the Race Street site. (Photo courtesy of 3CDC)

If all goes as planned, Colette will formally open its doors for the first time later this year.

“I’m living out every chef’s dream,” said Combs, a longtime chef for Cincinnati-based Boca Restaurant Group. “(I’m) going out on my own to create my own voice while simultaneously building a culture of creativity professionalism where people want to work, and guests want to eat.”

The search for the proper spot to open his first restaurant for almost a year, Combs said. He picked the space at 1400 Race St. in part because of the fond memories he had of the Zula space.

“I vividly remember how much I loved both the interior and exterior of the building,” Combs said of his future culinary home. He described the ornate brick structure as having “an old-world charm and warm feel.” Inside, the site’s large windows allow for sun-soaked dining experiences.

Beyond Washington Park, Colette will be only about two blocks from historic Music Hall and Memorial Hall, and a similar distance to Vine Street known to many local foodies as the prime dining destination in OTR.

“When it became available, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity,” Combs added. “It’s just such a great location — a perfect one for folks coming from or going to the theater.”

Joining Ohio’s growing ranks of restaurants

Colette will become one of more than 23,000 bars and restaurants in the state, according to the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA). ORA data shows the number of new restaurants opening in Ohio has gone up each of the past three years — from 1,087 in 2020 to 1,308 in 2021 and 1,509 last year.

So far this year, there’ve already been 500 restaurants opening in Ohio. Hamilton County accounts for 37 of those.

The change from running a kitchen to opening a restaurant is no easy feat. Nationwide, about 30% of them close within one to three years, per ORA.

But Ohio’s restaurant community continues to be “resilient, innovative, and focused on providing delicious food and quality hospitality” despite challenges facing the industry, said John Barker, president and CEO of the ORA.

“In the face of 17 consecutive months of reported food cost increases and ongoing supply chain issues, owners and operators continue to get creative with menu offerings and ways of doing business to provide guests unique dining experiences across Ohio,” he added.

Joe Rudemiller, 3CDC’s vice president of marketing and communications, believes OTR and downtown Cincinnati continue to be attractive options for commercial renters of all types — restaurants, bars, retailers and even service businesses.

He noted “positive momentum” in the retail and food and beverage spaces, and continued excitement for the opening of new concepts throughout the urban core.

3CDC currently has 103 street-level retail tenants in the urban core, 81 of which are in OTR. So far this year, 3CDC already signed 11 leases and welcomed seven new street-level businesses in our commercial spaces. They another eight expected to open in the next six months, Rudemiller said.

“We see no signs of slowing down and we’re excited to continue working with talented entrepreneurs to bring their visions to fruition for Cincinnati’s residents, workers and visitors to enjoy,” he added.

Creating a recipe for success

Combs developed his culinary voice while working at some of the region’s top eateries, including Boca and Sotto, in downtown Cincinnati. The owner of those European-focused dining destinations is chef and restaurateur, David Falk. Combs started as a sous chef for Boca Restaurant Group and fought his way up the ladder to leading the kitchen at both Boca and Sotto.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work and travel with some great people through the years," he added. "In that time, I’ve been able to develop my own palate and hope to share what I’ve learned along the way."

To get his spot ready for opening night, Combs is working with a group of design and architecture professionals, including Ron Novak of Drawing Department and Michelle Pinales. Chef plans to update the open-concept layout Zula featured for about a decade. The wine-focused, small plate eatery closed its doors last September.

The Colette design team plans to make its fair share of cosmetic updates, Combs said. The goal, he said, is to create “warm and inviting” environment that still has a neighborhood feel.

But a major focus is going to be adjusting the layout of the overall floor plan. They’re updating both the dining rooms and bar, Combs said. They’re also adding a new private dining room.

Once complete, Colette will feature two private dining spaces. The new layout will also allow the team to combine the individual rooms when they need to serve larger parties.

Colette is on track to open late this summer or in early fall, Combs said.